Prue Calling
by KateB819
Summary: The Angel of Death has been a bit off his game lately, and has accidentally been letting souls free -- witches' souls. One day, he lets out one from the Charmed Ones' past. What happens when this soul isn't the only one they have to worry about?
1. Interruption & Some News

Sweat ran down Phoebe's neck, trickling down her body. Friction created heat as she rubbed against Coop's body.

He reached as far as he could, panting from the position they were now in.

"Come on," Phoebe pressed, "we're almost there."

Coop tried again, but afraid to hurt Phoebe, he stopped.

Phoebe panted – they had been doing this for an hour straight!

"Coop, please," Phoebe begged, "I don't know how much longer I can—"

Suddenly, Coop pushed as hard as he could and sighed with relief. He felt Phoebe sigh, too.

"Great!" Paige and Piper yelled.

Leo held up the paper. "Next, right hand, yellow…"

The Halliwells had been playing Twister for the better part of that Saturday. Saturdays had been designated "Family Day," since that was the only day the whole family was always free. Today, they had decided to play Twister. Leo and Piper had held the record, but Phoebe and Coop just beat it.

"Ah!" Paige muttered in annoyance. Everyone turned around to see what was the matter. "Jingling," she explained. The jingling was an unfortunate part of being part Whitelighter. She looked up, addressing the Elders. "Can't you give a break, _just once_?" Another jingle gave her an answer. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," she growled and orbed away.

Unable to stay in the position any longer, Phoebe and Coop collapsed, breaking into giggles.

"That was totally your fault," Phoebe teased.

"Was not," Coop laughed.

"Okay, I guess this Family Day is over," Piper surmised.

Phoebe and Coop cleaned up while Piper and Leo got dinner served. Henry and Victor kept an eye on Wyatt and Chris. This was a day everyone always looked forward to – the one day things were normal. _Or at least, as normal as possible_. Piper sighed. Ever since defeating the Ultimate Power, things were settling down very quickly. Phoebe and Coop had gotten married, Paige and Henry were quickly adapting to married life, and Piper and Leo were raising Wyatt and Chris without the constant interference of demonic attacks.

The only thing that interfered with their otherwise normal lives was the Elders, who were constantly calling Paige about a new Charge.

* * *

Dinner was all set, and everyone was sitting, patiently waiting for Paige to return. Again.

"I can't believe they did this again," Phoebe sighed in frustration. She looked up, the same way Paige had. "Nice going, you ruined another Saturday, guys!"

As if on cue, Paige orbed back in. She looked pale and sat in her seat, quiet.

"Well, what's up?" Piper asked. "What did your bosses want?"

Paige didn't answer, she just looked down at her plate.

"Yo! Paige!" Phoebe shouted, making Paige jump.

She looked up, still pale as ever.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Henry asked. "What'd they want you for?"

Paige cleared her throat. "Well," she began. "Apparently, Death has been a bit off his game lately."

"Death?" Henry said, surprised. "Like the Angel of Death?"

"Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy," Paige replied. "Except for the whole taking people's souls thing…"

"Anyway," Piper cut in, "What about him? The Elders just called you up there to tell you that Death is having issues?"

"No," Paige answered. "It's just that he's not as alert as he usually is, and…" She trailed off.

"'And' what?" Phoebe demanded.

"He accidentally let some souls out recently," Paige said.

"Whose souls?"

"Witches – apparently, when you're dead, they section you off by who you were, such as 'witch,' 'human,' and so on. They let you mingle but in the end, you're put into sections by who or what you were when you were alive."

"So what witches did Death let out?" Victor asked hesitantly.

"At first, when they realized what had happened, they thought it was just some small-time witches," Paige explained, "but then they realized he'd let out one _big_ witch today."

"Who?" Coop asked.

"Well, I think you guys should be pretty familiar with her," Paige said to Piper and Phoebe. "It's Prue."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_Okay, so this is my first Charmed story. Hopefully, this is half as good as my UW fanfics, and that's not saying much... :)  
_**

_**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Any comments or criticism, do not hesitate to say them!  
**_

KateB819


	2. Leather Jacket and Denim Jeans

"Prue?" Victor screamed at the mention of his eldest daughter.

Piper and Phoebe just sat there and blinked.

"Where is she?" Leo asked.

"Her soul was released around noon, the Elders figured. From what they can tell, the soul takes about ten hours to materialize."

"Is Death going to take her back?" Phoebe asked, afraid to get her hopes up.

"No," Paige clarified quickly. "The Elders have been sensing that witches aren't the only beings being brought back from the dead. So they figure, you know, even the score and all that."

"That doesn't sound like them," Leo observed.

Paige shrugged her shoulders. "All they told me is that since Prue is attached to this house, she's probably gonna reappear here around ten and have no idea that she's been dead all this time."

"Wait," Piper said, holding her hand up in a 'stop' motion, "Prue's not going to know she's been dead for _six_ years?"

"Yes," Paige said.

"This isn't summoning the dead," Phoebe realized, "it's like bringing back the dead. Different situation, different rules."

"So now what?" Victor asked, not wanting to hear about more stupid magical rules.

Piper began eating her dinner. "We wait until it's ten."

* * *

Piper and Leo had put Wyatt and Chris to sleep a few hours ago. Phoebe and Paige sat in the attic, waiting tensely.

Trying to break the tension, Phoebe asked Paige, "So, have you heard from Billie?"

"Yes, she's celebrating with her friends somewhere in Puerto Rico. I can't believe she became the Ultimate Power, killed the Charmed Ones, killed her sister, and was still able to finish college."

"I know, scary, huh?"

Piper, Leo, Coop, Henry, and Victor joined the girls in the attic. "It's almost ten," Coop announced. He sat next to Phoebe, and Henry sat next to Paige. They were seated on a couch near the door.

Piper and Leo chose to sit with Victor on the couch closest to the Book of Shadows, their magical family heirloom, and guide to the magical world.

As the clock downstairs struck ten, everyone jumped.

Time seemed to freeze as everyone's breathing could be heard. Suddenly, a tiny white light, no bigger than a baseball floated into the attic. It hovered over a circular rug, where so many rituals and spells had been cast, and gradually grew in size.

Everyone held their breaths as the white radiant orb continued to grow and began to shape itself into a form of a person – of Prue.

The orb shot bright light out, momentarily blinding the room. Everyone shielded their eyes, and after a second or so, the light died down. Everyone slowly brought their hand down from their eyes.

Standing in the middle of the room was Prue, still wearing her leather black jacket and denim jeans.

She looked around, befuddled. "Where am I?" She gasped, "Where's Shax?"

Seconds went by and no one said anything. They all just gaped at her.

"Who are all these people?" Prue asked, referring to Paige, Henry, and Coop. "And Phoebe, what did you do with your hair?" Phoebe had been a blonde with straight hair the last Prue had seen her, and now her hair was a bouncy, chestnut shade.

Piper was the first to find her voice. "Uhm, Prue, honey… do you know what happened to you?"

"What?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Phoebe asked, sensing Prue's complete and utter confusion with her own empathy powers.

"I-I remember… Shax blowing in through the front door and going after Dr. Griffiths. Then he hit me instead and… and I blacked out."

"So you're assuming that Leo healed you and now we're all in the attic," Paige guessed.

"Who are you?" Prue asked, giving her a suspicious look.

Paige, Phoebe, and Piper exchanged looks. "Honey, why don't you come with us to the conservatory downstairs and we'll explain everything as best we can to you," Piper suggested.

Paige began to object, but Phoebe grabbed her and pulled her aside. "Listen," she said as Piper went to get Prue, "if we start doing the whole explaining thing with everyone around, it'll be too confusing. We have to give her a little bit at a time. We don't want her head to explode."

"Fine," Paige said, pretending to pout. "When are we going to tell her we're related?"

"Hopefully after she digests that she's been dead for six years," Phoebe replied.

"Okay, go."

Phoebe and Piper led Prue downstairs to explain things to Prue, hoping she would take it well.

Meanwhile, somewhere far underground, an army of demons were being summoned to kill the Charmed Ones.

* * *

**Author's Note 01:**

**_Thanks for reading. I'm not exactly sure where this story is going right now, so let's just see where this takes us, shall we?_**

_**If you liked it, lemme know. If you don't, let me know why, I'm all ears... or eyes, whatever floats your boat.**_

**Author's Note 02:**

_**Okay, I missed the episode where they were killed... sorry about that. Thanks for telling me, Angels and Demons.**_

KateB819


	3. A Blast From the Past

**_I'm going to try to address everyone's comments as best I can. Feel free to comment back!  
_**

_Okay, so I already addressed Angels and Demon's comment. I was unaware Billy's parents had been killed -- I missed that episode. Thank you for pointing that out._

_Yes, CharmedNeptune47, Prue will definitely be shocked at Paige's existence. Hopefully her reaction is what you guys are looking for._

_jiejei1, I was planning to show Phoebe and Piper's emotions later, but I guess I'll throw a bit of it in now. Hope this is what you were hoping for..._

_WelshCanuck, thanks for your comment, too!_

* * *

The walk to the conservatory was long and quiet.

Phoebe tried her best to hold back tears, but plenty came streaming down her cheeks. She did it quietly and out of joy. She had dreamed countless times that her oldest sister would come back to life, and they'd all be happy. The reality was, it wouldn't be happy until after Prue got adjusted to being back after six years of an absence. _How are we going to explain this one?_ Phoebe wiped away some tears and continued walking.

Piper wasn't doing much better. Her nose was a rosy color, which often happened when she cried or got emotional. She had earned the nickname "Rudolph" when she was younger because of this.

From the moment she woke up and was informed that she had survived the attack but her sister didn't, she had wished the roles had been reversed. It had been some sick twist of fate and destiny that had caused her to become the older sister. She had big shoes to fill, had screwed up plenty of times, and was not as confident as Prue had been, but somehow she had made it through. So many times she had wished she could curl up in Prue's lap and cry and let Prue take care of all her troubles, but that had never been possible. Until now.

"What is going on?" Prue demanded as soon as the three sisters had sat down.

Piper and Phoebe shifted uncomfortably. _Where do we start?_ Piper asked herself. She nudged Phoebe to begin.

"Prue, sweetie," Phoebe began, "what day do you think it is?

Without hesitating, Prue declared, "I _know_ it's Thursday, May 17, 2001."

Phoebe wasn't sure what to say next, so Piper picked it up. "Okay, Prue, what if we told you it was actually Saturday, June 10, 2007?"

"I'd say you were nuts," Prue said adamantly. _I can't blame her_, Piper thought.

Phoebe sighed and stood up. She went to the kitchen for something, and came back with it – a newspaper. "Prue, look at the date."

Sure enough, it read Saturday, June 10, 2007.

"Oh no, did I get sent to the future again?"

"No," Piper answered, hesitant to tell her the truth. But she had to. "Prue, honey… That date, Thursday, May 17, 2001? That was the day you…" She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"…I what?" Prue pressed

Phoebe placed her hand on Prue's knee. "Prue, that's the day you died. You died six years ago."

Prue shook her head in disbelief. "Prue," Phoebe said, unable to come up with anything.

Prue sprang up, tears in her eyes. "No! That's impossible!"

Piper stood up, her heart racing. "Prue, when Shax blew in that day and knocked you through the wall, Leo came back in time to save only one of us…"

"So he picked you?!" She looked at Phoebe, anger in her eyes. "And where the hell were you?"

"Long story short," Phoebe answered quietly, "I was trapped in the Underworld."

Prue turned around, breathing heavily. "All this time, I've been dead?" she shouted in disbelief.

Phoebe went over to touch her shoulder, but Prue shrugged it away. "Give me a second, dammit," she growled. Suddenly, a demon shimmered into the room.

"Prue, look out!" Piper shouted. The demon looked at her and hurled an energy ball at her, hitting Piper in the chest and sending her flying into the wall. She was knocked out.

The demon targeted Phoebe next, hurling another energy ball at her. Phoebe used her empathy power and used the demon's powers against him. As the case was for witches, demons' powers were linked to their emotions. Phoebe sent the energy ball flying back at the demon, and he exploded.

"Whoa," Prue exhaled, impressed. "How'd you do that?"

Phoebe began to explain when Paige came running down the stairs. "Oh my God," she said when she saw Piper unconscious.

Just then, another demon shimmered in and grabbed Prue from behind. As he shimmered out with her, Phoebe jumped and grabbed Prue, shimmering out with them.

* * *

They wound up in the Underworld, and the demon dropped Prue on the ground. He was surprised to find two witches. "My, my, Phoebe jumped in for a ride," he commented.

"Malek?" Phoebe realized from the familiar voice.

"You know this demon?" Prue asked.

"Yeah," Phoebe said, slowly remembering who he was. "You were Cole's groupie when he was the Source, weren't you?"

Malek growled.

"Cole was the Source? What the hell did I miss?"

Malek flung an energy ball at Phoebe, who levitated off the ground and gave Malek a kick in the face. She landed and flicked her wrist, snapping his head back and causing a stream of blood to trickle down his face.

"You damn witch!" he yelled as he grabbed her and head-butted her.

Prue flung her arm and sent Malek flying into the wall.

"Didn't you die already?" Phoebe asked as she got back up. He threw another energy ball at her, which hit this time and sent her back to the ground, with a bleeding wound on her shirt. "Ugh, I just bought this shirt, you bastard!" she said, springing back up. Without Piper's power, she couldn't vanquish the demon, and all Prue could do was send him into the wall a few times.

He tackled her this time, but Phoebe brought her knee up and hit him right where it hurts.

He roared in pain and Phoebe punched him in the face and then elbowed him in the chest for good measure. Enraged, Malek tripped her, but Prue waved her arm again to send him flying into the wall. He rolled back up and threw another energy ball, which Phoebe deflected and sent flying at him.

Malek dodged it, and leapt in front of Phoebe. He tried to kick her, but she grabbed his leg and flipped him onto the ground. Then, in one fluid motion, she bent down and grabbed his neck in her hand and gave it a twist.

Next thing she knew, Malek burst into flames, and Phoebe and Prue were alone in the chamber.

"Great," Prue said. "Leo!" she cried.

"I, uh, don't think he'll hear you from down here, Prue," Phoebe said. "He had his wings clipped."

"Oh God, when?"

"A couple years ago," she answered. Pondering what to do, she came up with an idea. _Let's hope Paige is really in touch with her Whitelighter side…_ "Paige!"

"Who the hell is Paige?" Prue asked.

The familiar orbs came shining in from the ceiling of the chamber, and ended in Paige re-materializing in front of them.

"The woman from the attic?"

"Explain later," Phoebe said to Prue. Then, she said to Paige, "Orb now."

With that, Paige grabbed both of their hands and orbed them back to the manor.

Re-materializing in the kitchen, Prue let go of Paige's hand.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

The only other person in the kitchen was Piper, who was cleaning up the remainder of the dishes from dinner. Paige had already healed the wound Malek had given her earlier. Piper turned around at their reappearance.

"Who is she?" Prue asked again, pointing to Paige.

"She's our sister," Phoebe replied quietly. "Our half-sister."

"What?" Prue exclaimed. "Half sister on which side?"

"The witch side," Piper answered. "Mom and Sam had an affair and Mom gave birth to Paige. They left her at a church, and all they asked was for her name to start with a 'P.'"

"So, she's half-Whitelighter, and half-witch," Prue said, putting her arm down.

"Yes," Phoebe answered. "And she's our sister. An amazing, intelligent, and honest-to-God stubborn woman."

Paige blushed. She extended a hand out to Prue. "I've heard so much about you," she said, "it's an honor to meet you."

Prue stood there, dumbstruck. "Hi," she said lamely.

"Uh, not to ruin the moment," Phoebe interrupted, "but we just got attacked by a demon we already vanquished."

"Who?" Piper asked.

"Malek. Remember him?"

"Vaguely," Paige said, "wasn't he a part of Cole's flunkies?"

"Yeah, and he came back."

"Oh God," Piper said, "If someone's bringing back demons that we've vanquished in the last nine years–"

"We're screwed," Paige said.

* * *

Demons were gathering in the Underworld. The more famous of the demons that had taken on the Charmed Ones in the past but had failed were now in one large chamber. The Necromancer, the one Penny had vanquished, stood in front of all those he had brought back.

_**Jeremy, the Wendigo, Barbas, Gabriel, the Grimlocks, Alec, Tempus, the Succubus, Drazi, the Demon of Illusion, Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, Troxa, Andras, Aames, Shadow the Warlock, Shax, the Furies, Gamil, Sykes, the Source, the Lazarus demon, the Vampire Queen, the Wizard, the Seer, the Siren, the Crone, the Titans, Captain Black Jack Cutting, the Avatars, Imara, Viccus, and Zankou**_ were standing, looking at the Necromancer.

And, at his right hand was Christy.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_  
plays suspenseful music Okay, I'm still not quite sure where this is going. If you find any mistakes or anything I can improve on, I'd be eternally grateful. Comments are definitely welcome._**

**_I'll try my best to respond to any comments, so go ahead and comment away!_**

KateB819


	4. Wizards, Warlocks, Oh My!

_Joleca, yes I can definitely see Prue taking charge, but don't forget Piper's been taking charge for the last six years and Paige has always taken charge, so I think there should be some conflict there. And about Cole... well, just wait and see..._

_CharmedNeptune47, thanks for your comment!  
_

_missypaige06, yes some Paige-Prue bonding is what I'm hoping for._

_jiejei1, action is what I like... I'm not fantastic at writing it, but I figure its better than mindless dialogs. I'm hoping to mix both in this story..._

_cousins rock, I'm thinking about adding Billie... time will tell. And sorry about "Peggy," it was a typo... thanks for pointing that one out._

_Writingtrig, thank you for commenting!_

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, I thought about adding Andy in, but I'm not sure I should... we'll see what happens with that, I'll definitely consider it!_

* * *

Victor, Leo, Piper, Phoebe, Coop, Paige, and Henry sat at the dining room table, facing Prue. Prue had gotten over being dead for six years – or, at least, dealt with it as best as she could. After all, if demons were being brought back from the dead, she'd have to get back into the groove she'd been in before she had been killed.

Now, they had to explain to her the other things that had happened the last six years.

"Okay, so this is Paige, our wonderful sister," Phoebe said, standing up to break the silence. "And, uhm, I'm Phoebe and this is Piper," Phoebe said, trying to get a laugh out of Prue.

"Yes, I know that, Pheebes," Prue said, in her "duh" voice. _I miss that tone_, Phoebe thought to herself.

"So," Piper said, also standing. "We remember Leo, don't we?"

"Yes, I don't think I hit my head _that_ hard," Prue joked. Finally, the familiar atmosphere that used to be around the Halliwell manor had finally returned.

"Okay, the only thing that's changed from before is that Leo is no longer an Elder," Piper said.

"Whoa, Leo was an Elder?" Prue asked. "Are you _sure __**I'm**_ the one that hit my head? Leo was a Whitelighter."

"Emphasis on 'was,'" Leo explained, "I was promoted to Elder status."

"And then he was fired," Piper said. "Actually, they kidnapped him, took his memory, threw him somewhere in Texas, and then when he chose me over them they took away his powers."

"And now I'm mortal," Leo finished. "Mortal and loving it." He gave Piper a loving look.

"Aw," Prue said, "you guys are exactly the way you were when I left."

Suddenly, from upstairs a piercing cry was heard.

"The boys!" Piper shouted. Paige orbed upstairs instinctively, leaving everyone else downstairs. A crash was heard from above. Piper and Phoebe bolted up the stairs.

Leaving the men in the kitchen, Prue ran after them. "What boys?!"

* * *

As Piper, Phoebe, and Prue reached the boys' room, Jeremy was standing over a bawling Chris. Chris orbed out.

"Jeremy?" Piper shouted in disbelief and confusion.

"Who the hell is Jeremy?" Paige asked as she got up from her impact with the wall.

"Old flame," Piper explained briefly.

"What's the matter, Piper," Jeremy taunted, "you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Oh, save it," Piper muttered and blew Jeremy up. Unfortunately, as soon as Jeremy was exploded, he came back together as if nothing had happened at all. Cackling was heard from behind them. The sisters whirled around to see the Wizard.

"You?" Phoebe sputtered. "Didn't I kill you when you were taking Cole's powers?"

He snorted. "And that turned out fine, didn't it? You should have let me finish what I started."

"Who is this?" Prue asked.

Paige answered, "This is the little sneaky bastard that tried to resurrect his entire species by becoming the Source."

"Oh. How nice," Prue commented sarcastically.

The Wizard waved his wand and three demons popped up.

Prue went into her fight stance, but Phoebe held her back. "They're illusions," she told her. "Aren't they?" she asked the Wizard.

The Wizard sighed heavily and waved his hand to erase them. "Good memory," he said. "But how will you vanquish me now, without the power of the Source's spawn?"

"The _**who's**_ _what_?" Prue asked, baffled.

Phoebe, Piper, and Paige tapped into their sixth sense, something they had discovered when the Crone had taken away one sense from each of them. It kept them connected and tuned into each other's thoughts.

Simultaneously, the three chanted "The Power of Three will set us free." They said it over and over.

By the third time, the Wizard's body began to contort as he wailed in pain. By the fourth time, the Wizard was howling in pain and he exploded, bursting into flames.

"Oh, I love the smell of burnt Wizard at night," Paige said as the cries finished echoing.

Jeremy stood there. He began to blink but Piper had quicker reflexes, freezing him before he had a chance to escape.

"Whoa, nice job, sis," Paige said. "What should we do? Orb his family jewels to Timbuktu?"

"Tempting," Piper commented, "but I think we should interrogate him, see what is going on here."

Suddenly, Jeremy burst into flames, too. His cries reverberated through the room and he blew up, like he had the last two times.

"Oh man," Piper cried. "And I was looking forward to torturing him, too…"

Prue gave Piper a weird look. "What happened to my innocent little sister?"

"She got tired of demons coming in on a daily basis," Piper reply angrily.

"What killed him, then?" Phoebe asked no one in particular.

Wyatt orbed back in, holding Chris's hand.

"Aw, who's a good older brother?" Phoebe cooed. "That was a very good thing you did, Wyatt, protecting your brother like that."

"Chris was scared," Wyatt said simply. Phoebe looked down at Chris, who was now giggling happily.

"I'm sure he was," Paige said, kneeling next to Wyatt. "Don't ever stop protecting him if he can't, protect himself" she said to him.

"Who are these guys?" Prue asked, looking down at them.

Phoebe stepped behind Wyatt and had him wave at Prue. "This here is Wyatt, the first of the next generation." She looked down at Wyatt. "Say, 'Hi, Auntie Prue.'"

"Hi, Auntie Prue," Wyatt said cheerfully.

"He's the older of my sons," Piper said proudly to Prue.

"Oh my God, you're a mom?" Prue gasped.

"I know," Piper said. _So much has changed in the last several years,_ she thought. _How are we ever going to get her up to speed?_

_One thing at a time,_ Phoebe's eyes read, obviously thinking about the same ting Piper was. Over the time from Prue's death until now, Piper and Phoebe had become so close it was as if they shared one mind at times.

"And this," Paige said, holding up Chris's arm, "is Chris. Say 'hi,' Chris…"

Chris just giggled again and spit dribbled down his chin as he wiggled his legs and laughed again. He was talking already, but often chose to talk just to Wyatt, who would relay their conversations to Piper and Leo. "He may not be talking to us, but at least he's talking," Leo had said.

"Hello, Chris," Prue said, smiling down at her nephew. "I'm your Auntie Prue."

"Auntie Pwue," Chris said.

"Oh geez, it's Phoebe all over again," Prue joked.

* * *

After Wyatt and Chris had been put back to sleep, Victor also went home to catch some z's. Leo, Henry, and Coop were in the living room watching some late-night action flick, leaving the **four** sisters to figure things out in the attic.

"That was so weird," Piper said, "seeing Jeremy again."

"And the Wizard," Paige said. "I wonder how many other of our past vanquishes are coming back." Then something hit Paige, Piper, and Phoebe at the same time.

"Zankou!" Phoebe said, reading her sisters' minds.

"Who?" Prue asked.

"Not just Zankou," a familiar voice said.

This time, Prue recognized the voice, as well as the other three sisters.

"If you want to beat this army," the voice continued as the shape shimmered into the hallway, "you're going to need my help."

Phoebe groaned inwardly when he grinned at her and said, "Hi, Phoebe."

Through clenched teeth, she greeted, "Hiya, Cole."

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

_I wanted to add Cole from the beginning... there will be a short conflict but the mood between Phoebe and Cole should be sort of light for most of the story...  
_

_Thank you everyone for your comments and help! I can't believe how many reviews I've had already... like I said, I'll do my best to address each of them without giving away the story._

_As usual, comments and criticism is welcome!_

KateB819


	5. Cole's Explanation

_Joleca, yes Cole is back and he's good. I loved the show when he was on the good side... after that I felt like they ruined his character. I'm trying my best with the interactions... but seeing as how I don't have any sisters, I just try to imagine what I would do around my friends; I hope it works._

_writerchic16, I'm trying to figure out what to do with Prue when the whole this is over... I want it to be a happy ending, so I doubt I'll kill her off. And yes, it's a lot of demons, but it gives the sisters a chance to bond._

_cousins rock, I'm trying to fit Wyatt and Chris into the story... it's a bit boring that they're toddlers in this story, and I love Chris so I'm working on it. I hadn't thought about the Triad -- I love that idea! I might add them in, we'll see._

_jiejei1, wow another Cole-fan! Seems I made the right decision to add him. And I always loved Wyatt and Chris, so they definitely had to have something to do in this story._

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, thanks! Glad to make someone smile!_

_misspaige06, I wanted to play around with the sisters' relationship, and Prue can no longer act as if she's the most experienced one, because Paige has been doing it twice as long as Prue has... so we'll see more power struggles there._

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Paige snarled.

"Nice to see you, too," Cole quipped. He looked at Piper. "You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you," meaning when she had slipped into Limbo as well after the Elders had sent Leo to discover his own destiny. Piper had needed his help to reconnect with Leo.

"Yeah, thanks," Piper said flatly.

Cole looked at Prue. "Geez, doesn't anyone stay dead anymore?"

"What's going on, Cole?" Phoebe demanded. "Do you know what's going on with all the dead demons that aren't dead anymore?"

Cole sighed and smiled at her. "Straight to the point, huh?"

"Look, Piper told me about your little Limbo mission to prevent me from giving up on love," Phoebe said, "and now I have a husband that hasn't tried to kill me."

"_Yet_," he said. When Phoebe didn't laugh, he said, "Oh come on, can't I tease you?"

"What's going on?" Paige asked again, flashing him a look that told him he'd better hurry before they had to bring the crystals out for interrogation purposes.

"I assume you know about the Angel of Death and his 'little mistakes,'" Cole began, indicating Prue.

"Uh huh," Phoebe acknowledged.

"Okay, well he didn't just let out small time witches, the Elders were hiding something else from you."

"Surprise, surprise," Piper commented.

Ignoring Piper's interruption, Cole continued, "Death also let out a witch I'm sure you're familiar with… Christy."

"Oh, crap," Paige said. "Could he have picked a _worst_ witch to let out?"

"Who's Christy?" Prue asked.

"She's a witch that was raised by the Triad for fifteen years," Piper explained. "She managed to turn Billie, a family friend, against us. And then they blew up the house and killed Phoebe and Paige."

"But Piper was able to use Coop's ring to bring us back," Phoebe finished.

"Who's Coop?" Prue asked. _Dammit, these explanations aren't even explanations! They're making everything more and more confusing… why did so much have to happen in the last six years?_

"He's my husband," Phoebe said proudly, ignoring a look from Cole. "He's a Cupid."

"The Elders sent him to her since she had given up on love," Paige elaborated, "which they wouldn't have had to if it hadn't been for someone turning into the Source of all Evil and breaking Phoebe's heart…" She gave Cole a dirty look.

"Hey, I'm already spending an eternity in Limbo for that," he said.

"As far as I'm concerned, that's not good enough," Paige grumbled.

"Well, then thank God it's not up to you," he retorted.

"Can we continue?" Phoebe sighed, entering Wyatt and Chris's room from the hallway to sit on a beanie bag chair. Piper and Paige joined her on nearby chairs, but Prue chose to lean against the wall, trying to digest everything she had learned in the last few hours.

"Okay, so after Christy was brought back, she wanted revenge. She had an idea, to bring back all your past enemies, every big bad that you guys have vanquished in the last nine years."

"Points for originality," Piper said. "And who says blondes are dumb?"

"Anyway," Cole continued, "she realized she doesn't have enough power to do that… at least, not without killing herself in the process."

"Too bad," Phoebe said.

"So she brought back the only being that could bring them all back without breaking a sweat. The Necromancer."

"The one Grams dealt with that time?" Paige asked.

"Wait, our Grams?" Prue asked.

"Yes, that Grams," Piper answered.

"That's the Necromancer I'm talking about. He's got the power and Christy's got the ability to channel it to resurrect demons."

"And that's what they did," Phoebe said. "This is _so_ evil."

"Hey, she was raised by the Triad," Paige said, "Would you expect any less?"

"And that's why the Elders decided to keep Prue around," Piper concluded. "But why didn't they tell us about Christy?"

"Because they were ordered not to," Cole replied. "They were told by the Angel of Destiny that you would find out on your own. And now you have."

"How did you come back?" Phoebe asked.

"Christy accidentally brought me back when she resurrected the Source. My soul is still attached to him."

"So you know who she brought back." Prue finally spoke.

"Not exactly. Once Christy realized what happened, she kicked me out of the chamber and I can't seem to go back… maybe she has a magical cloak over it. I know Christy is planning to send them here in pairs, more or less. When one fails to kill you, the next pair is sent."

"Why not send them all at once?" Paige asked.

"Because demons have huge egos. They all want to be the one that killed the Charmed Ones, and they'd all kill each other in the process, which is not what Christy wants"

"So why not attack us now? Christy can't stop all of them," Prue said. "Can she?"

"She can," Phoebe said, remembering how Christy had managed to command the demons under her power. "She's probably got them all scared. But why not attack us herself? Doesn't she want the credit?"

"I suspect she does," Cole replied, "and this army of hers is just to tire us out. She knows we're powerful enough to take them out. Once we eliminate them, she'll find us and kills us herself."

"Us?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow.

"I'm helping you guys," Cole explained, "whether you like it or not. I'm not evil anymore."

"_What_ are you?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm Cole," he said, as if it were obvious. "I'm the part of Belthazor that has a soul, the human side." He paused. "I'm the side you fell in love with."

"So you don't have powers, then," Paige said, ignoring the last part. "Like before you became the Source."

"No, I still have the powers, I just don't have the evil in me."

"Why should we trust you?" Piper asked, regarding him suspiciously.

"Because without me," Cole said, "you have a lot of demons to vanquish and not a lot of help. Only one of you can actually vanquish a demon with your own powers," Cole pointed to Piper. "All Paige and Prue can do is throw them into a wall, and all Phoebe can do is give them some broken bones and bruises. Only Piper and I can actually blow the up."

"He has a point," Leo said, coming up the staircase with Henry, Coop, and the boys behind them.

"See? I always liked Leo," Cole said. "What do you guys say?"

"Fine," Paige said reluctantly.

"Okay, but you'd better watch it, buddy," Piper glared.

"I guess it's a yes for me," Prue shrugged.

Phoebe stood up and walked right up to Cole, looking him in the eyes. She paused and thought for a few seconds.

Cole cocked his head to the side and gave her a fake pout. "For old time's sake?"

"No," Phoebe said flatly. "I'm doing this so that my nephews can grow up in a world that's not overrun by demons. I am not doing this because I forgave you; I am not doing this because you're not evil anymore; I'm not doing this because I think we need your help. I'm doing this because this world needs good in it, and if you're going to help make that happen, then that's the only reason I can see fighting on the same side as you." She took a breath. "Cole, if this is a trick… if you hurt me or my family, I swear I will make sure I vanquish your sorry ass – again."

Even though repressed anger and icy cold bitterness mixed in her voice, hurt shone in her eyes. Only Cole saw it.

"Phoebe," he whispered softly, as if it were an apology. Everyone else was quiet as Cole reached out to touch her shoulder, but she brushed by him and walked downstairs, not saying another word.

An awkward silence followed as the seconds ticked by.

Finally, Prue broke it with another question. "What the hell has changed since I died?"

Piper laughed bitterly. "Long story," she said, and left the room, followed by Paige and the rest of the men.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Whoa, this was a short chapter, so I'll put up the sixth as well...**_

KateB819


	6. Old and New Wounds

Everyone joined Phoebe downstairs, except Piper and Leo, who had decided to put Wyatt and Chris down for the night.

Prue sat next to Paige. "So you're our little sister," she said.

"Yep. You can move things with your mind, too, right?"

"Yeah. Is that your power?"

To demonstrate, Paige cried, "Paper!" It disappeared from the coffee table and reappeared in her hand, first as orbs and then as a piece of paper.

"Whoa," Prue said in awe. "I guess it's the whole half-Whitelighter side thing, huh?"

Piper came downstairs. "Okay, the boys are asleep."

"What now?" Henry asked.

"We sleep," Coop answered.

"Okay," Leo said, heading back upstairs. Piper joined him. Paige went to Henry and began to orb out, and Phoebe grabbed her car keys and began to leave with Coop.

"Wait," Phoebe said, stopping everyone in their tracks. "Where do Prue and Cole go?"

"Why, what happened to my old room?" Prue asked.

"Well, it was Paige's, but then we turned it into a guest room for Dad when he stays over…" Piper replied.

"And Phoebe's is now Piper's sons' bedroom…" Prue said.

"Well, she can come home with us," Coop suggested. "We have an extra bedroom."

"Sounds good," Prue said.

"And Cole?" Paige asked. "I mean, unless Prue and Cole want to sleep in the same bed…"

"Ew!" Prue shouted.

Cole sighed. "Can I just crash on the couch, then?"

Piper made a disgusted face but said, "Fine… just make sure you don't drool on the pillows."

"I'll try," Cole said dryly.

"So it's settled," Piper said. "Everyone meet back here for our Sunday brunch."

Everyone said their goodnights, and Paige orbed out with Henry.

Phoebe and Coop led Prue to her car.

"Wow, no dents," Prue joked.

"I have a good car repairman," Phoebe replied, smiling. It was easy to slip back into their old ways. Phoebe had missed Prue's teasing so much.

After everyone was buckled in, Coop began the short drive home.

"It's a small apartment," Phoebe explained to Prue as they sat next to each other in the backseat. "But it's my new home."

"I can't believe you have your own place! Do you have a job?"

As soon as she said that, they drove by a huge billboard with Phoebe's big smile plastered across it, with words "Ask Phoebe" painted across it.

"Omigod," Prue exclaimed. "No way!"

"I know, Freebie Phoebe giving advice to people, har, har," Phoebe said.

"I can't believe this," Prue said. _My little sister's grown up!_

* * *

The next morning, Phoebe and Coop woke up the same time they always did for Piper's Sunday brunches. Except this time it was to the sweet smell of coffee. They got changed and stumbled into the kitchen area, to find Prue sipping a cup o' joe and reading the newspaper.

"Wow, you guys sleep in," Prue commented.

"And we're actually the earlier of the two couples," Coop replied, pouring two cups of coffee.

The morning was spent in silence except for the occasional, "Did you know this happened" and "We'd better hurry or Piper will kill us." Within an hour, they were in the car, back on their way to the Halliwell manor.

"Where does Paige live?" Prue asked.

"Not too far from here. Orbing distance."

"I still can't believe we have a half-sister," Prue said softly.

"I know," she said back. "We're glad to have you back," she said, tears in her eyes.

"Me too, Pheebs, me too."

The rest of the drive was silent.

By eleven o'clock, Phoebe, Coop, Prue, Cole, Piper, and Leo were sitting at the table waiting for Paige and Henry.

"Typical," Piper mumbled.

As if on cue, Paige and Henry orbed into their seats. "Sorry we're late," Paige apologized.

"Traffic?" Phoebe teased.

"No," Paige said. "Sam orbed in to ask if we need help with the whole Christy situation."

"Your dad?" Prue asked to make sure she was thinking about the same Sam.

"Yeah, and I told him we've got it covered."

"At least we know he cares," Leo said.

"Okay, no more magic talk," Piper said as she began serving herself and the boys. "Let's eat!"

Halfway through the meal, Prue said, "Oh Piper, I think your cooking has _actually_ gotten better!"

"Thanks," Piper said. "I've been thinking about opening my own restaurant…"

"Oh, do you still own P3?"

"Yes. Speaking of P3, guess who I booked."

"Jonas Brothers?" Coop joked.

"Oh, God no!" Piper cried.

"Rihanna?" Paige guessed.

Piper shook her head 'no.'

"Simple Plan?" Phoebe tried. Another no.

"Lifehouse," Leo thought.

"Vanessa Carlton," Henry suggested.

Everyone looked at Prue. "Okay, I have no idea who any of those people are," she laughed.

"Guess anyway," Piper said, "you have to guess, too!"

"Uhm," Prue said, uncertain, "Britney Spears? N'SYNC? The Backstreet Boys?"

Phoebe laughed. "Oh God, if she booked them, that means P3 is down the toilet…"

"Why?" Prue laughed. "Oh, I guess after six years, they probably aren't popular anymore."

"No," Paige chuckled. "I almost forgot about them!"

"So who is it?" Leo asked.

"Oh, it's Linkin Park!"

"Who?" Prue asked. Then she added, "You know what? I'm getting sick of asking this question… I'll look it up online." Everyone laughed.

* * *

After brunch, everyone hung around the living room. Phoebe, Paige, and Piper were working on helping Prue catch up on most things – such as who Henry was, what had been going on with Wyatt and Chris, work, dating, and so on.

"What's with Cole being the Source?" Prue eventually asked.

Paige and Piper looked at Phoebe. "Uh," she said. "Can that wait until another time?"

"Sure," Prue said, catching the hint.

Phoebe left the room and went upstairs. Wyatt and Chris were playing in the playpen. Coop, Henry, Leo, and Cole were in the living room, watching television. Seeing Phoebe pass by, Cole stood and followed her to the attic.

Realizing she had been followed she turned around. "Cole," she said, sending out vibes that screamed, "Get the hell away from me!"

"Phoebe, please." She sighed and sat down on a couch. He sat down next to her. "I'm not doing this in hopes of getting back with you," he assured her. "I know that boat has sailed. I know that we've lost what we once had."

"So what do you want?"

"I want you to stop being angry with me," he pleaded.

Phoebe sighed.

"Listen, I've accepted that I hurt you. I am so, so sorry that I did. I wish I could take it all back and make it like the way it was before," he said, putting a hand on her knee and squeezing it. "I understand now that we aren't meant to be together, because all I've ever done is make you miserable."

"Continue," she said, not denying any part of what he'd said.

"I'm not coming to you to beg you to come back to me or ask you to take me in," he told her, "I can see how happy Coop makes you. He makes you smile in a way I never could."

There was a silence that followed.

"Cole, I love you," Phoebe confessed. "But I'm not _in_ love with you… you get what I mean?"

Cole nodded. "Yes." He smiled at her. "I just want you to be happy. And clearly, you can never be completely happy when you're with me."

"Cole," Phoebe said, leaning her head on his chest. "Thank you." She gazed into his eyes. "And I wasn't angry at you," she clarified, "just a little hurt, I guess."

"I know," Cole said. "I know! What about a little demon-hunting?"

"Without my sisters?"

"All you need is me," Cole insisted. "Let's go after the Necromancer."

"You're crazy," Phoebe scoffed.

"Yes," he said, "but you're still coming."

"Why do we have to do this now? And how are we going to find him?"

"Because I know where he'll be – he's always in the same place, the same cavern. And if we don't do it now, who knows what else he'll bring back from the dead."

Phoebe hesitated. "Fine," she said. "Just have me back before dinner. Or I'll turn into a pumpkin."

"Again?" he teased, and grabbed her hand, shimmering.

* * *

They wound up in a cavern in the Underworld, just like Cole had said.. Like most of them, it was dark, lit only by some torches attached to the wall. It was hot and dry, and it had a bitter and evil atmosphere about it.

"How did you find me?" the Necromancer demanded. He looked the same as when Penny had taken care of him. Only this time he was angrier.

"You're pretty predictable," Cole answered. "Maybe next time you should think about finding another place. Maybe some place with more dead people. I hear the cemetery is renting out some cool places."

"You think this is all a joke, do you?" he growled. "Well, laugh about this!" He shot energy from his fingertips, hitting Phoebe in the chest and slamming her against the wall. The impact made Phoebe grunt and she landed on the floor.

In retaliation, Cole flung an energy ball at him, which he stealthily dodged. Cole didn't miss a beat and hurled another one. Anticipating that the Necromancer would dodge it again, Cole threw two more – one from each hand, one on the left and one on the right. The Necromancer went left and was hit by that one, exploding. "Told you that you were too predictable," Cole quipped.

He ran to Phoebe, who was slowly getting off the ground.

"Glad I could be of such use," Phoebe said, wincing in pain.

"Lemme see," Cole said, turning her towards him. She had a wound on the right side of her chest, about the size of a baseball.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said wryly.

He helped her up. "I would've vanquished him as soon as we shimmered in," he spoke apologetically, "but I wanted to see if we could get any info out of him."

"So much for that," she said, laughing a bit.

"Let's get you home… can Paige heal yet?"

"She's still working out the kinks, but I don't mind being her practice dummy."

With that, Cole shimmered Phoebe into the kitchen, where the sisters were sitting.

"Oh my God," Piper yelled, looking at Cole warily. "What the hell happened?"

"It wasn't his fault," Phoebe spoke up, sitting on a chair. "We vanquished the Necromancer."

"And how did you get this wound?" Prue asked, glaring at Cole.

"Well, the Necromancer wasn't going to die without a fight," Phoebe said. Paige came up to her and held her hands out, trying to heal.

"Frick," she said. "I wish I could get the hang of this."

"Calm down," Leo said from behind her. "You're not going to be able to do it if you're flustered."

Paige took a deep breath. Finally, a warm, gold light emitted from her hands and covered Phoebe's wound, closing it and sealing her shirt, which had been damaged as well.

"I never understood that," Piper said.

Coop had walked into the kitchen and stood by Phoebe. "Understood what?" Phoebe asked, standing up with Coop's help.

"Why our clothes heal, too… I mean, shouldn't only our skin heal, not the clothes?"

"Take it up with the Elders," Paige said. "All I know is that it saves me a fortune on my clothes."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Okay, since chapter 5 was really short I put up the sixth as well. For you Phoebe-Cole lovers, this should be the last chapter where it's so tense between them. I just felt the need to clear the air. This chapter was longer than the other ones, and the next one should be about the same length.  
**_

_**As usual, don't hesitate to point out any mistakes, leave a comment, request for something to happen, or ask questions! Thanks for reading.**_

KateB819


	7. A Typical Day in the Halliwell Manor

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, I just stuck the clothes part in there because it was something I always wondered and thought it'd be funny to point it out... hahahaha_

_Joleca, as for Phoebe's reaction to Cole... I always thought the show didn't give Phoebe a proper chance to move on. I mean, yeah she wasn't in love with Cole anymore by the time they vanquished him for good, but something was still there (remember how she was able to 'sense' him when he was in Limbo), but the writers threw her into a relationship (Jason) without giving her a chance to heal. It wasn't until she met Coop in S8 that she was really allowed to move on, and I think deep down she wasn't able to let out all the emotions she had kept inside. Maybe it's just me... lemme know!_

_CharmedNeptune47, thanks for your comment!_

_missypaige06, I guess Henry doesn't get as much a part because he doesn't know much abut the magical world, unlike Coop and Leo. And he doesn't know Prue, so he might not have a large part in the story. He will get a decent part towards the end, but overall, I don't see him in this story that much. Maybe another time?_

_cousins rock, I would put Grams in here because I love her character, but I think it would take something away from Prue's coming back. Maybe she could come back for one chapter to give them some info...?_

* * *

Not too long after, Phoebe and Paige were in the attic, leafing through the Book of Shadows.

Prue came up. "Anything?"

"So far we have a whole lot of nothing," Paige replied, "Go figure."

Phoebe sighed. "Can we try the 'call for a lost witch' spell?"

"We could," Paige said, "but I think it'd be better if Billie did it. She's got a stronger connection."

"Billie is our family friend, right?"

"Yes," Phoebe answered. "She's one helluva witch."

Coop and Henry walked into the room. Phoebe walked up to Coop and placed a kiss on his lips, while Henry walked up to Paige and massaged her shoulders.

"Anything?" Henry asked.

"Nah," Paige replied. "Other than the 'call for a lost witch' spell. And we think we should have Billie cast it."

"Is Billie coming back from Puerto Rico soon?" Coop asked.

"Yeah, she came back yesterday," Phoebe answered, "and we told her what's going on so she said she'll try to drop by today."

"Well, Henry and I have to go out with Leo," Coop told her. "Piper's got us out on some potion ingredients hunt."

"Yeah," Henry said with a laugh, "I didn't know you could buy some of the stuff she's sending us out to get."

"Welcome to our life," Phoebe smiled.

"Just glad I could be a part of it," Coop said, and planted a kiss on her lips.

Henry did the same, "Bye, honey," he said, and Coop and Henry left the attic.

"Aw," Prue said. "That's so sweet."

Cole shimmered in. Phoebe glanced at him. "Anything?"

"I am so sick of people asking us that," Paige said to Phoebe.

"That's a 'no?'"

"Yeah, that's a big fat no."

Cole sighed and sat down on the couch, near where Prue was standing.

"What the hell did you do to Phoebe?" Prue asked in a hushed voice, so only Cole could hear.

"She didn't tell you?" Cole asked, surprised.

"No, but I know you did something for her to kill your sorry ass." She glared at him. "You became the Source of all evil, didn't you?"

"Guilty," he said, not smiling.

"This is not a joke," she continued in a hushed voice, "you broke my sister's heart."

"And I'm paying my penance for it. Look," he said, in as quiet a voice as possible, "I know what I did was wrong and it hurt Phoebe. I'm sorry, and I've told her that I am. I am not here to get back together with her, I'm here to help. I want her to be happy, and clearly she is happy with Coop."

Prue sat back, a bit shocked that she wouldn't have to shoo him away like an unwanted pest. "So you're not going to bother her," she said.

"No," he said, "I've learned my lesson. I almost got her killed so many times, and I'm in no rush to do it again."

"Crap!" Phoebe screamed suddenly from the Book of Shadows. "What good is this thing if it won't help us when we need it?"

"We could always chuck it in the fireplace," Paige joked. Then she paused and held her head.

"Ugh, jingling!"

"From who?" Phoebe asked. "The Elders?"

Paige cocked her head and had a puzzled look on her face. "Piper?" Then her eyes opened in alarm. "Piper!" She orbed downstairs. All they heard was "Get the hell away from him!"

Before Phoebe knew it, she was sent flying off her feet into the wall. "What the hell was that?" she asked as Prue helped her to her feet.

"I don't know," Prue admitted.

Cole had a hunch. "Troxa," he said, "how pathetic."

"Shut up," a voice rang in the attic, as an energy ball materialized and hovered in mid-air.

"Troxa," Phoebe said, "the demon too weak to attack that it needs to be invisible." She held up her hand and used her empath power to dissolve the energy ball before it hit its target, Cole.

Another energy ball appeared, this time sent flying towards Phoebe. Prue shot it back at where she assumed Troxa had been standing, but it just hit the wall.

"Show yourself, you damn coward," Prue yelled in frustration.

Cole shimmered out and shimmered back in, fire extinguisher in hand. He sprayed it all over the room, and was lucky to hit Troxa. Troxa showed up, angry. "Peek-a-boo," Cole taunted. Cole threw an energy ball at him, and before Troxa could do anything, the ball hit him and Troxa exploded.

"Before we can relax, something's going on in the living room," Cole said, "I saw it when I got the fire extinguisher."

He grabbed Prue and Phoebe's hands and shimmered out.

They shimmered back into the living room, only to find Wyatt had pushed everyone away from him with his force field. Someone was standing next to him, Phoebe could tell, but she couldn't see who. "Viccus," she realized.

"Who?" Prue asked.

"He's a demon that prays on small children, using their trust to turn them evil. He's attacked before, but I don't know how we'll do it again." Before she had a chance to continue her explanation, she had an idea. She went to get Chris, who was still obliviously giggling and rolling around in his playpen. "Wyatt," she said, getting her nephew's attention. "You can't trust that man," she continued, holding Chris. "That man will do something very bad to Chris, and you don't want that to happen, do you?"

Wyatt looked perplexed. "He says he won't do anything to Chris."

"Okay," she said, holding Chris to Wyatt's force field. Chris couldn't penetrate it because Wyatt's magic was now evil and Chris was still good. "Why can't Chris come in, then?"

Recognizing his mistake in trusting Viccus, Wyatt glared at the demon. "You're evil," he realized, "and you lied! Friends don't lie!" He lowered his force field and raised his arms, and Viccus blew up.

Piper ran to Wyatt. "I'm sorry, Mommy," Wyatt said.

She sighed and held him tight. "I love you," she whispered, hugging him and kissing him.

"Another typical day in the Halliwell manor," Paige said, rolling her eyes.

The doorbell rang. Piper went to get it, and Billie ran in, hugging Piper.

"Hi, guys!" She was as perky and bright as ever.

"Wow, someone got a tan," Phoebe said, running over to hug Billie. "How was Puerto Rico?"

Now hugging Paige, Billie answered, "It was amazing. You guys have to go there some day."

"Well, first things first," Piper said, killing the light mood that had been created. "This is Prue," she said, indicating Prue.

Billie waved emphatically. "This is so cool," she beamed, "I've wanted to meet you ever since I met your sisters!"

"Oh, really," Prue said, a bit taken aback by her energetic personality. She shook Billie's hand and said, "How wonderful…" Prue cleared her throat. "I've heard a lot about you."

Billie looked shocked. "Wow, really? That's great!"

"Uh huh," Piper said, faking Billie's excitement. "Now, about the demons…"

Billie cleared her throat. "Right, and Christy…"

They went to the dining room table and sat down. Leo sat down, as well. Billie sighed. "I gotta say, guys, I'm not too thrilled about having to fight my sister, again."

"We won't make you, sweetie," Phoebe said. "Once is more than enough."

"So what's our plan?" Prue asked.

"Err… plan?" Paige responded. "I thought we would just wing it."

"You can't just 'wing it,'" Prue scoffed. "Are you crazy?"

"Hey," Paige said, holding up her hands in a 'don't shoot' manner, "all I'm saying is that it's worked for us in the past. Piper winged it when Phoebe and I died; I winged it when Cole changed reality; Phoebe's winged it a lot, too!"

Prue glared. "Well, I've been doing this longer than you, so—" She cut herself off. Usually, in a heated debate with her sisters, she could say that. This time, she could not.

"Whoa, okay," Phoebe said, her new middle-sister instincts kicking in, "let's all take a deep breath." She looked at Prue. "Why don't we step outside for a moment?" She gave Piper a look, and Piper understood it – _Give Paige a talk, too!_

Phoebe led a steaming Prue outside, while Piper pulled Paige into the kitchen.

"Calm down, Prue," Phoebe said, sitting her down on the stoop.

"Can you believe her?" she shouted. "Wing it? WING IT?!"

"Okay, you have to understand that Paige is… well, she's the type to make it up as you go along."

"Yeah, that'll take her very far," Prue commented sarcastically.

Phoebe sighed. "Prue, I understand where you're coming from. Believe me, at first Piper and I had issues with it, too. But it just works!"

Prue rolled her eyes. "My way works fine, too," she grumbled.

"I know, it worked fine for three years. But you have to understand that Paige has been with us for six years, and our way has worked just as well, too. Maybe you just have to give it a chance."

"And what if it doesn't work? What if it just makes things worse?"

"Then we go with your way," Phoebe replied. "But let's just hear Paige out, maybe her lack of a plan is a plan after all."

Prue snorted.

"Stubborn," Phoebe teased.

"Am not," Prue laughed a bit. She looked at Phoebe. "I guess playing the middle sister has its rewards," she said. "You've grown up so much."

"Well, between Paige's 'winging it' and Piper's 'by the book,' I had to figure out how to mediate," Phoebe blushed.

"Well, you're very good at it. Annoyingly so, in fact." Prue smiled proudly at Phoebe. "I love you, Phoebe."

"I love you too, Prue. God, I've missed you so much." She playfully shoved Prue. "Even if you're being stubborn."

"Am not."

"Am, too."

* * *

"Paige," Piper began, "here's the deal."

"I don't want to know the deal," Paige muttered.

Piper glared at her. "Is that any way to talk to your older sister?"

"Oh, pfft," Paige scoffed, rolled her eyes, then took a deep breath. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Prue has always been the oldest sister…"

"…And I've always been the youngest sister, so what?"

"_Well_," Piper said sharply, "she's always been the 'take charge' one. The one that forms a plan, relays it to us, and executes it."

"Fine," Paige grumbled. "Sounds like a one-woman army…"

"Look, I agree, your way has definitely worked before. But Prue's way has worked, too. Just give her a chance."

"Whatever, she's your sister."

"She's yours, too," Piper reminded, "and you're gonna have to learn how to deal with each other. I know she's stubborn and strong-willed, but she's got great instincts." She paused when Paige tried to interrupt, and continued before she had the chance to. "I'm not saying you don't – you have the best instincts out of the three of us. But just know that you have to deal with Prue." She gave Paige a wink. "And no one wants to deal with that."

Paige had to laugh at that. "Okay, I'll try to tone down my Paige-iness."

"Thank you," Piper said. "Look, Prue isn't that bad once you get to know her, even if she is incredibly headstrong. It just takes some time."

"Can't I just cast a spell on her? Like a 'mellow out' spell?"

"Oh, Paige," Piper chuckled, "if we could do that, I would've used it on you a while ago!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**I just thought it would be interesting to see Paige and Prue butt heads... won't be the last time, but they'll learn to love each other.  
**_

_**This chapter was decently long... and the next one should be, as well. Let me know if it was too long, I'll see what I can do about shortening it (or vice-versa).**_

_**As usual, let me know if I made a mistake somewhere, if you have a question, or if you just want to leave a comment.**_

KateB819


	8. Prue and Phoebe

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, personally I'm on Paige's side too, I always thought Prue was too rigid and bossy... then again, I guess it's the whole older sister thing, but I'm the older one as well and I'm not like that..._

ChristineRudd, thanks for your 'long' comment... Cole was probably gonna get brought back eventually, but someone was asking for it early so I figure I mind as well do it now. Paige has always been headstrong which I loved, and I figured six years later she's bound to know more than Prue.

PrueAndyForever, I'm gonna address all your comments at once, if that's okay with you... first of all, thanks for all your reviews. I tried to make the characters' reactions as realistic as possible, thanks for letting me know I succeeded. I needed a logical reason for why the Elders would want Prue to stay, instead of rounding her up with everyone else, so that's why I brought back Christy. I'll figure out what to do with Cole, I have some ideas... I think Phoebe's a pretty spontaneous person, which is why I had her do that. Not smart, but definitely traditional Phoebe. I always wanted Prue and Paige to butt heads, and they're definitely not done. Yes, Natalie was too rigid for Prue, but for the majority of the show, Prue wasn't much for 'winging it'.

missypaige06, I think that from S1 to S3 Phoebe and Prue definitely got closer, and from S4 to S8 Piper and Paige got a lot closer, as well, so I just wanted to show that. Remember, both pairs couldn't stand each other before..

CharmedNeptune47, yeah, I think everyone has wanted Prue and Paige to clash, since they're pretty different...

WelshCanuck, I loved Piper and Paige in the beginning of S4, that's why I wanted to do it again for Prue & Paige.

jiejei1, how was camping? lol. The JB part was just something I threw in there because I thought it would be funny... kinda random, but still funny.

piperspeanut, I'm also going to respond to all your comments at once. Yes, the twister game was written to sound like something else. LOL. I'm going to do something on Chris and Wyatt, don't worry. They won't continue to be useless in the story. I'll explain the brunch thing later. Cole and Prue will get a happy ending, no worries... at least, if this story goes the way I want it to...

_cousinsrock, you're right, oopsie... I didn't see most of S8 so I was a bit fuzzy on what Billie's powers are. I changed it, thanks for pointing that out._

* * *

The rest of that Sunday was uneventful. Billie tried the 'call for a lost witch' spell, with no results. "She must be in the Underworld, and certain parts of the Underworld are powerful enough to block this spell," Cole had explained.

Paige and Prue had chosen to ignore each other until they were both feeling calmer, which would probably take another day.

That night, at dinner, Prue asked what everyone was doing tomorrow.

"I'm going to the Underworld to hit up some of my old contacts, ask them more about what's going on," Cole said, "as long as they're not, you know, dead…"

"I have to track down one of my parolees," Henry explained.

"Paige and I are going to work on tracking down Christy," Billie said.

"Leo and I are going golfing," Coop told her, "but you're welcome to come along."

"No, I'm good," Prue denied politely. "Piper, Phoebe, what about you two?"

"Work," Piper laughed. "Linkin Park is coming and that means a lot of teens are coming… I have to make sure the bartenders don't serve anything with alcohol to them."

"And I have a column to write. Although, our main piece is going to be about the 49ers, so I can slack off a bit." She flashed Prue a smile. "Wanna come with me to work?"

Prue smiled back, "Sure," but then her smile faded, "except won't people wonder why there's a dead woman walking around?"

An Elder orbed into the dining room. "Leave that to us."

"Why? You gonna erase her memory and send her to Texas, too?" Paige asked, giving the Elder a dirty look.

"That was Odin's fault," the Elder replied. "He was the one that went to intercept Leo… the rest of us were willing to let him live with Piper."

"Whatever," Phoebe said.

"Obviously, I'm missing something," Prue said. "Anyway, leave _what_ to you?"

"We've talked it over," the Elder began, "and we're willing to erase every non-magical being's memory, make it so you never died."

"So I'll still have my job?"

"No," the Elder said, "but your place in the cemetery will be removed, all records of your death, and memory will be removed, too.

"And what will be left?" Piper asked. "Fake memories?"

"Yes," the Elder answered. "Nothing special, simply meeting, and greeting. Nothing else."

"Wait, so won't Leo and Henry have no memory of her death, as well?" Paige asked.

"Certain non-magical beings will retain their memory, such as Leo, Henry, Darryl, and others… but the rest will not."

"When?" Prue asked.

"Now," the Elder said. "I just thought I'd let you know."

"Thanks for the heads-up," Phoebe responded. "Don't you guys have _any_ concept of time?"

"Just be careful," the Elder warned, "these enemies are angrier and more powerful in number than before."

"We will," Paige said, "just stop with the jingling until this is over, unless you have something useful to tell me."

"Okay," she replied, orbing out.

"Have I told you how annoying the Elders are?" Piper asked rhetorically.

"Once or twice," Phoebe commented, piling dishes and bowls, "but they saved our butts this time."

"Well, it's about time," Piper snapped, cleaning up the table with Phoebe.

The next morning, Prue woke up early, as usual. Phoebe woke up not too long after.

"Pheebs, where did all my clothes go?" Prue realized all she had was what she had been wearing when she'd died.

"We packaged it up and put it in the attic," Phoebe told her. "Want to drop by and change quickly?"

"No," Prue said. "You got anything in your closet that will fit me?"

"Sure," Phoebe said. "Let's find something more in Prue-style," she said, noting that she was wearing a navy blue tank top and black tights. Phoebe found a black t-shirt and navy blue jeans for Prue, and within minutes, Prue was changed and they were on the way to the Bay Mirror.

"My boss's name is Elise," Phoebe explained. "She's tough and hard, but she's really nice when it comes down to it. And she puts up with my 'family emergences' most of the time."

"Sounds like you got a good one," Prue replied.

It wasn't too long of a ride from the apartment to Phoebe's work. As soon as they got off the elevator and went into the main area where Phoebe's office was, people ran up to her.

"Phoebe, can you—"

"Phoebe, where's—"

"Phoebe, Elise wants you to—"

"Phoebe, Elise asked us to—"

"Phoebe, don't forget to—"

"Phoebe, someone called and—"

'Phoebe, I need some advice on—"

Prue got overwhelmed just standing there watching Phoebe deal with not just this, but greeting everyone and asking how their weekend went, asking how their family was, asking how a certain movie was. And Phoebe still had time to grab a cup of coffee and a bagel!

Once within the sanctuary of Phoebe's office, Phoebe said to Prue, "Please, make yourself at home; sit wherever you want." Phoebe's voice was still light and energetic, meanwhile Prue was feeling tired and drained.

"How did you do that?" Prue asked. "Dealing with all those people, being so cheerful, and now you have to actually write up your column!"

Phoebe shrugged. "I guess after six years of working here, you get used to it." She sat down and turned on her computer. "I might be busy for the morning and some of the afternoon," she said, "but feel free to make conversation!"

"Okay, fine," Prue said. "then tell me about Cole."

"What about him?" Phoebe asked, beginning to address her first letter of the day. Prue gave Phoebe a look that read, _You know what I'm talking about_. "Alright, fine," Phoebe conceded. "Things were good, after you… died… and for a while there we were happy. Not 'happy,' but _**happy**_ – but then one day a witch we were helping tried to vanquish him and wound up stripping his powers, instead. And even that wasn't too bad," she said. "Our problems started, I guess when we vanquished the Source by using the Hollow – this being that absorbs magical powers – and I guess the Source went into Cole's body. I didn't know, but I had a feeling about him, and I even cast a spell to find out what was wrong."

"Did it work?"

"No, I thought I was making the right decision in trusting him and marrying him."

"Oh my God, you married the Source?"

"Yes, and I still had no idea even when I got pregnant."

"PREGNANT?"

"Yeah, and that's when I realized something was up. Because I got all these demonic powers, and the next thing I knew, I agreed to be Cole's Queen an rule the Underworld at his side."

"You did _what_?!"

"It was the baby, it was taking over me. So, I turned my back on Paige and Piper, but I was fighting the evil as long as I could. I even tried going back, but it didn't work out because I was playing both sides of the field. I had Piper and Paige pulling me one way and Cole pulling me the other way. They all wanted me to take a side, and it came to a point where it was them or him." Phoebe took a deep breath, tears in her eyes. "I helped vanquished Cole… it was the hardest thing I ever had to do… it was so hard, but Piper and Paige helped me through."

"Wow."

"Oh, that's not it," Phoebe laughed. "He came back. He hung onto the idea of coming back to me in the demon wasteland, and got all these powers and came back, invincible."

"Uh oh."

"For a while there, I was so confused. 'Do I want to be with Cole, or not?' And after a while, I realized I wasn't in love with him anymore. Cole almost killed me so many times because his new powers were driving him crazy. Then, one night Paige comes home saying Cole changed reality and made it so we never met Paige after you died, so the Power of Three was never reconstituted. But this made it so Cole never became the Source, either, and wasn't invincible."

"Uh huh," Prue said.

"Paige was able to get Piper to trust her, and I vanquished him in the other reality, changing it back to this one and killing Cole once and for all." Phoebe took sighed. "Then we found out a couple years later that Cole was trapped in Limbo, paying for the things he had done."

"And now he's back." Prue exhaled sharply. "Wow, I missed a lot."

"Nah, not much," Phoebe laughed.

"I can't believe so much has changed. We have another sister, Piper has kids, Leo isn't a Whitelighter anymore, and you've matured so much."

"It had to happen eventually," Phoebe chuckled. "Like Piper would let me bum around the manor forever?"

Prue laughed.

* * *

"Try this one," Paige told Billie.

"_Allow these enchanted words to grant me this:_

_Help me find my lost older sis,_

_And so, these words shall make it be_

_Where, oh where is my Christy?_"

Billie looked up with disgust on her face. "Paige, this is almost as bad as the last one!" Billie playfully hit Paige. "_And_ it didn't do anything!"

"Shut up," Paige laughed. "Let's see you write one!"

"Fine," Billie said, sticking her tongue out. After a few moments, she read,

"_My sister that I had crossed_

_Is back now, but is lost_

_Allow this spell to find Christy_

_Show her location to me_"

"Wow, Doctor Seuss, I think we got a winner here," Paige replied. "Too bad it didn't work, either!"

Suddenly, Zankou appeared in front of them. Billie went to throw him telepathically, but nothing happened.  
"What the—"

Zankou laughed and grinned. He was just as overconfident and smug as he had looked before. "Your sister is a life saver," he taunted.

"Christy?"

"She gave me a charm so that none of your powers work on me," he sneered.

"So why don't you just kill us now?" Paige asked.

"I would," Zankou said, "but unfortunately your blasted sister made it so that I can't attack either, until it's my turn." He scoffed. "Turns, as if this were a game!"

"So what are you doing here?" Paige demanded.

"To let you know that every demon you vanquish as of now brings you one step closer to me," he said. "And there's no way for you to beat me. So be careful how fast you vanquish my allies," he taunted.

"Lamp!" Paige called, hurling it at Zankou, but it bounced off of him and landed on the ground. He held up his hand as if to form a fireball, but nothing happened.

"Damn it!" he cursed. He looked at them, anger in his eyes. "Until next time," he said, shimmering away.

"Who was that?" Billie asked.

Ignoring her question, Paige said, "Call Phoebe and call Piper. We have to figure out how to kill that guy again, or we're going to wind up in the same situation as last time."

"Which was…?"

"Too close to death than I would like to admit."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
_  
Okay, so not as long as I thought. Anyway, just wanted some bonding time between Phoebe and Prue, because I felt like they were in a good place at the end of S3 and wanted to pick it up from there.  
And I know a lot of people don't like Billie, so I thought I'd remind everyone of the way she was before the Christy business._**

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment, critique, ask -- whatever it is, don't hesitate to do it!  
  
KateB819


	9. She's a Maneater

_PeterPanTinkerBell27 and CharmedNeptune47, thanks for your comments!_

_jiejei1, glad to hear you had fun camping. I'm trying to focus on how Prue coming back is affecting everyone, and how it's affecting her, so I hope I've done that well thus far. And I loved Zankou, so he definitely had to make an appearance!_

_ChristineRudd, yes Prue is back for the whole story. Prue totally needed to know what happened between Phoebe and Cole, but I wanted her to hear it from Phoebe herself. I liked Billie, although with the whole Christy ordeal it was hard to like her too much._

_PrueAndyForever, whoa... Oo What a long comment, lol. Okay, here goes: Yes I like Paige more than Prue (although that doesn't say much because I like Piper the most and Phoebe second-most). No, this will not mean in ANY WAY that Prue will be cast in a bad light. I am not the kind of writer that shows my preferences too much, hopefully. In my other stories, I try to write the main characters that I don't like in the same way I write the ones I do; it is unfair to the readers that do like these characters to see their favorites stuck in a horrible role. She's not really bossy or extremely rigid, just more so than the other sisters, which I completely understand from her position as the older sister. Prue will not 'lose' to Paige, they will eventually work things out, I just wanted to show what a difference the two sisters are. Each sister is unique in their own way: Piper panics, Phoebe is the rebel, Paige tends to wander, and Prue is the logical one. As for Phoebe, I was hinting she was trying to show off a bit, which I think she's entitled to... look at her from S3 and S8 and you'll see a huge difference in maturity levels. Glad to see a Billie fan! Zankou was one of my favorite baddies on the show, so I was always planning to include him in the mix. Thanks for your comment!  
_

_piperspeanut, Phoebe and Prue always had a complex relationship, I think, and it changed a lot from S1 to S3. I liked it a lot, too bad it had to end. Chris and Wyatt will get a huger role eventually, and Christy will make a bigger appearance!_

_WelshCanuck, I liked Zankou, too! I just wanted to remind everyone how Prue and Phoebe's relationship was right before Prue died..._

* * *

That night, Phoebe dropped Prue off at P3 and went home. Paige had called around lunchtime to tell Phoebe something, which – when Prue asked what it was – Phoebe had told Prue that it was nothing.

"I don't buy that," Prue had said.

"I know, but Paige and I are gonna go with Billie into the Underworld to see what we can find out. Paige'll orb to you if she needs to. Just stay with Piper at P3, you'll be fine."

And here was Prue, sitting with Piper in P3.

"Do you guys _always_ go demon hunting alone?" Prue asked Piper, who was busy making sure the underage Linkin Park's fans were not drinking anything they weren't supposed to be.

"Huh?" Piper asked.

"Phoebe went off to vanquish the Necromancer _alone_ and now she and Paige are going demon-searching… _alone_."

"Okay, Phoebe was with Cole, and now they're with Billie, which means that they're three of the five most powerful witches to have ever lived."

Prue made a face.

"Look, Phoebe's the type to do something spontaneous, and ever since she married Coop she hasn't had much excitement." Piper stopped to cheer when Linkin Park began playing their song, "What I've Done." "Anyway, if Phoebe wants to go do some demon vanquishing on her own, who am I to stop her? And I definitely am not gonna fight Paige over it."

"Paige," Prue said, annoyed.

"Oh, will you cut it out," Piper snapped, watching P3 liven up as the song progressed. "I swear, between you and Paige, Phoebe and I will go crazy."

Changing the subject, Prue asked, "So where are the boys?"

"With Dad. He just loves taking them."

"Speaking of dad, why wasn't he at the brunch yesterday?"

Piper cheered with the crowd as the song entered the chorus. "He never comes; the brunches are more for the three – four – of us than for him. He comes every week to the Family Fun day on Saturdays, though."

"Wow, scheduling family fun," Prue commented wryly.

Piper scoffed. "I know it sounds tacky, but with me taking care of the boys, Phoebe and her crazy work schedule, and Paige with her Whitelighter crap," she explained, "this is the only way we could be sure we'd actually see each other more than every birthday, Christmas, and Thanksgiving!"

"Why don't you all just live in the manor? It's safer, and—"  
"And impossible," Piper interrupted. "Remember, I have Leo, Phoebe has Coop, and Paige has Henry. Not to mention, I have Wyatt and Chris and they might want kids, too…"

Prue seemed appalled at the thought of Phoebe raising kids.

Piper laughed. "Prue, I know that this is hard for you to accept, but Phoebe is very responsible."

"Piper, I'm still trying to cope with _you_ having kids!"

"I know, but I couldn't have done it without Phoebe and Paige's help." She smiled at Prue. "I know this is a lot to absorb, Prue, but don't worry, it just takes one step at a time."

Prue sighed. "I just wish I could astral project a few steps ahead."

Leo, Coop, and Henry were sitting at home.

Henry changed the channel from a baseball game to a horror movie.

"_Scream_," Coop said. "Nice choice."

"Eh," Henry said, changing the channel again, "I dunno, I don't like it that the best friend dies. I liked her."

Suddenly, two women appeared in the living room. "Coop," Leo said immediately.

"On it," Coop said, teleporting out.

"You," Leo said to the Siren. "You're the Siren."

"The what?" Henry said, staring at the two gorgeous women above him. The Siren smiled and walked towards Leo. He began to cover his ears, but before he was able to fully cover them, she began to hum her song. The tune drifted into Leo's ears, filling his body with a song that didn't have a melody or lyrics. It engulfed him and caused him to abandon all reason.

"Leo," Henry said, nervous. "Leo! Hello, _Earth to Leo_!"

"Never mind Leo," the other woman said.

"What the hell are you?" Henry asked, backing away.

"The Succubus," she said, grinning. Henry let down his guard a bit. Paige had never said anything about 'the Succubus,' so how bad could she be? The woman was gorgeous. She walked toward Henry, and for reasons he couldn't explain, he was attracted to this lithe, nimble woman. He walked towards her involuntarily, and before he knew it, he was kissing her. Abandoning all caution, he kissed her hungrily, with a passion stronger than he had ever felt before.

"Piper! Prue!" Coop was pale as he ran up to them.

"Coop, how'd you get here?" Piper was surprised. "What's wrong?"

"No time to explain," he said, panicked. "Follow me into the back!"

Prue and Piper followed him. He held out his hand, and they grabbed it. He teleported them back into the living room of the Halliwell manor.

Leo was about to kiss the Siren. He had done it before, but last time he wasn't mortal. The Siren stopped humming at the sisters' arrival, and held her finger up to Leo's lips, although he was still under her spell.

"More fireworks?" the Siren taunted. Last time, Wyatt still hadn't been born yet, and was affecting Piper's powers, changing them into fireworks or flowers. "I'll show ya fireworks, bitch!" Piper blew the Siren up, and Leo collapsed to the ground.

"What happened?"

"Lamp!" Paige called from the stairs, throwing it at the Succubus. It smashed over her head, and she fell on the ground. She got up and growled. "How dare you," she snarled.

"Uh, excuse me," Paige said, "I'm not the one kissing married men." The Succubus went to run out the door, but Prue waved her hand, knocking her into the grandfather clock.

Phoebe leapt down from the stairs in front of the Succubus. Phoebe kicked the Succubus in the ribs, and then elbowed her in the head, and she dropped to her knees. Hissing, she unsheathed an athame.

"Athame!" Paige called, removing the weapon from the Succubus.

Phoebe hit her with a roundhouse kick, and Prue waved the Succubus into the wall.

Busy helping Leo, she looked up and without hesitation, Piper blew her up.

"Who was that?" Prue and Paige both asked, each of them having meant someone else.

"The woman kissing Leo was the Siren," Piper explained to Prue. "She kills men by kissing them and then goes after their woman. Luckily, Leo didn't kiss her. I don't think he would have survived it this time."

"And the woman kissing Henry," Phoebe told Paige, "was the Succubus. Basically, she's the same thing as the Siren – luring unsuspecting men and killing them."

"Where's Billie?" Piper asked Phoebe and Paige.

"Oh," Phoebe began, "we bumped into Cole in the Underworld, and seeing as how neither of us found jack…"

"We all came back, and they're upstairs trying to figure out what else to do. We heard the ruckus and came down to see what was going on."

"I went looking for you," Coop said to Phoebe, "but I couldn't pinpoint where you guys were in the Underworld, not when I needed someone _fast_."

"It's fine," she said to him, "you helped save the day."

"I sort of winged it, and I guess it worked out," Coop said.

Paige gave Prue a look that read _I told ya so_.

Prue's eyes widened. "This was just luck," she snapped. "This doesn't mean _anything_."

"You are so stubborn," Paige quipped, grabbing Henry's hand and orbing out.

Phoebe and Piper looked at each other.

"_Ugh_!" Prue stormed out the door. "I'll be waiting in your car, Pheebs!" She was angry and screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Great," Piper said. "This is just wonderful."

"Hey, at least you don't have to go home with one of them."

"Yeah," Piper said, as Phoebe walked out the front door, "just check under her pillow before she goes to sleep!"

* * *

**  
Author's Note:**

_**So, short-ish chapter here... It was more to set things up for the next couple chapters and to throw in some action. I promise, there will be more action later, I'm just getting some of the character development stuff done.**_

_**And as usual, comments, questions, demands, responses to my responses, and things you want to point out... don't hesitate to do so! Thanks for reading!**_

KateB819


	10. Bite Me

_CharmedNeptune47, don't worry -- all in good time... This would be a very boring story if it was all about Paige and Prue sniping at each other..._

_PrueAndyForever, great, another long comment... are you doing this to me on purpose? LOL It was no problem answering your previous comments, my pleasure. The differences between the sisters is what makes them so powerful, I think. If they all approached things the same way and agreed on everything, where would the fun be? I loved how Phoebe had to take on the middle-child role in S4, and I think Piper did it very well before that, so I wanted the two of them to share the role. Introducing the two demons from different points on the show was just another way to show that even thought Paige and Prue are different, they do have some things in common... which will show up next chapter. It's hard for Phoebe and Piper to find a middle between Prue's ways and Paige's ways, and hopefully I can find a way to implement both!_

_ishouldberunning, thank you for commenting! I try to make it as 'realistic' as possible..._

_piperspeanut, I had to throw the guys in there, so far all they've been doing is house-sitting, lol. I thought I had put that explanation for Victor's absence in earlier, apologies that I didn't. And LP rocks, but they're not as good as Evanscence... lol_

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, I'm the same, I love how the writers made them so different yet so alike at the same time!!_

_WelshCanuck, just more dialog to bring a smile to your face. :-) Bringing back demons from both parts of the show is a lot more fun than only bringing back some of them. Prue will be feeling a bit off for a little while longer, but she'll adjust. She is a Halliwell, after all..._

_ChristineRudd, thanks for your comment! I try to write the characters as closely as I can to the way they were on the show. Prue's the hardest to write for because she was on the show the shortest amount of time, but it's half the fun, figuring out what she would say! And Henry's remark was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I was originally going to have Paige say something, but I have the sisters so busy in this story they don't have the time to watch TV. Lol_

_jiejei1, Paige and Prue will work it out, no worries. And that discussion was funny, I had fun writing it!_

* * *

"I just think you may have overreacted," Phoebe said to Prue early next morning.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Prue said, ignoring Phoebe.

"Yes, and I will lecture Paige about that later, but I don't think you should have taken it as hard as you did. Remember the way I was, growing up? If you'd have reacted like that every time I did it, we would have never seen you again."

"Whatever," Prue said, sighing. "I think I'm just gonna have to stay home today."

"Fine," Phoebe said, "I just wish you _and_ Paige weren't so goddamn stubborn."

Phoebe left the apartment, and Coop went with her.

"Why are you following me?" she asked him.

"What? You think I'm staying in the apartment when she's fuming like that?"

Phoebe had left a lot earlier than usual, so she drove to the manor. "At least you can stay here," she told Coop in the car. "Until Prue's done steaming."

"Yeah, so now I can be with Paige while _she's_ furious. Great…"

Phoebe laughed. "If I had to pick, I would've stayed with Prue, only because she's less likely to do something out of the blue."

They went into the house, but no one was in the living room. They heard voices in the kitchen, so they approached, stopping in the dining room when they heard that those voices were _not_ happy.

"Paige, you are being so hard-headed!" Piper was yelling. "We all saw that look you gave Prue!"

"So now what, I can't look at her?" Paige demanded, getting a cereal box and slamming it on the counter.

"You know what I mean," Piper said, hurling a carton of milk at her. "Be careful, it might be expired," she said, meaning the milk.

"I don't care, I was right about winging it! I should be allowed to rub it in her face that she was wrong." Paige poured some milk and drank it. "It's fine."

"You were right _this once_," Piper said, adding 'milk' to her list of groceries. "Prue has been known to make it up as she goes along. But, sometimes it's better to have a plan. Think about how we vanquished the Source."

"That wasn't a plan, Piper. That was Cole becoming the Hollow and helping us. _Not_ in our plans, remember?" Paige shook an empty cereal box. "You need more corn flakes."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Piper scowled at the empty box.

"Henry said he was too tired to hear about me gripe over Prue."

"Well, I think he's on to something," Phoebe said, entering the kitchen at last. Paige sat there and skulked while eating her cereal.

Piper motioned Phoebe to leave the room with her. Once out of Paige's hearing range, Piper said to Paige, "Oh, I am going to strangle her! She came here an hour ago, ranting and raving about Prue, and now she's eaten up all my corn flakes," Piper said angrily.

"I know, Prue's been the same way… Where's Leo?"

"Sleeping," Piper answered. "Paige orbed into the room and began her rant, so I told Leo I'd handle it and for him to go back to sleep. Except I don't know _how_ to handle it… It's not like they're Wyatt and Chris, where I can yell at them or send them to their rooms."

"And Cole and Billie?"

"They were tired from searching all of yesterday, so they're also sleeping. Cole rented a small room for them somewhere where they can just come in and out without disturbing anyone, at least until this whole thing is over."

"Hi guys," Henry said, walking in the front door. "I felt bad about the way I treated Paige this morning," he explained, "and I kept thinking, 'What if something happens to her,' and the last thing that I ever said to her was that I was sick of her complaining."

"Aw," Phoebe said.

"Well, she's in the kitchen, devouring my food," Piper said.

"Thanks."

"I have an idea," Coop said. "Maybe the trick isn't to yell at them or send them to their rooms. Maybe you need the advice of someone who's dealt with raising three stubborn woman." Coop grinned at Phoebe.

"Grams?" Piper was pleasantly surprised. "Now, why did I think of that?"

"Because my husband is a genius," Phoebe said, kissing Coop. The three ran upstairs to the attic and summoned Grams.

"Hello," she said, appearing in the attic. "What's the matter, girls?"

Phoebe and Piper exchanged glances.

"How's Prue doing?"

"Uh, that's kind of what we wanted to talk to you about," Phoebe began. "We're having an issue with Prue and Paige…"

"They're fighting over who has a better tactic when it comes to dealing with demons," Piper continued.

"Oh," Penny said. "Well, that is a problem, because it divides your focus."

"That's why we're worried," Coop said.

"Have you tried reasoning?"

"Yes," Phoebe replied.

"Oh dear, if reasoning is not an option, then you're going to have to take it to Plan B."

"Which is…?" Piper asked.

"Oh, Phoebe, you know it well. What was it that I used to do when you and Prue began going out it and you refused to listen to me or Piper?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "You sent me shopping with her."

"What did that do?" Coop asked.

"Well, the girls had completely different favorite foods," Penny explained. "Phoebe liked sweets, Prue was partial to things like potato chips; Phoebe liked soda, Prue liked juice; Phoebe liked vanilla ice cream, and Prue liked chocolate ice cream. So I would tell them that they both got an equal number of picks, so I would send them out to pick up groceries and they would have to learn to compromise."

"Couldn't Prue or Phoebe just split it the same way every time, and never have to compromise?" Coop asked.

"Well, see who would want to just get their choice in ice cream but not in snack foods," Penny said. "It worked pretty well. At least, until Phoebe stole some of Prue's boyfriends… no amount of shopping would solve that." Penny gave Phoebe a look.

"Uh, I didn't steal her boyfriends," she insisted, "I was just very friendly with them."

"Uh huh," Piper said, not believing it for a second. "Anyway, I guess Gram's solution is to send them out shopping."

"That doesn't work," Coop said. "Why would Paige go shopping for Phoebe and me, or Prue go shopping for you and Leo?"

"I know," Phoebe said. "Sunday brunch. It's Paige's turn, anyway. Have her take Prue out to show her what needs to be picked up."

"True, we usually compromise in that whoever is shopping that week gets their pick… I love that idea! Thanks, Grams!"

"Bye, darlings," she said, leaving. Suddenly, crashing and yelling was heard downstairs. "Piper, Phoebe!" Paige called.

Downstairs, vampires were attacking left and right. One tried to bite Henry. "Chair!" Paige called, throwing it at the vampire, who was knocked unconscious. Henry held his neck nervously.

Piper blew a few up, and Phoebe knocked one into the sunlight with a kick. "Didn't pick a good time to strike, huh?" Phoebe taunted.

A vampire leapt at Coop and knocked him into the wall. Phoebe grabbed the vampire by the throat and slammed her against the wall, hard enough to fall on the ground. "You hit the wrong cupid," she said, picking her up by the back of her top and shoving her into the sunlight.

"Vampire!" Paige orbed a vampire into the sunbeams.

"Fight all you want," the Queen appeared, taunting. "You'll be too late anyway."

"Prue," Phoebe realized. "Oh my God, Paige!"

"Uh huh," Paige said, orbing out immediately. Whether or not they were fighting, losing Prue was not a chance they could take.

* * *

Paige orbed in, just in time to see some hairy beast push Prue into the wall. It resembled a werewolf, but Paige had never seen it before. _Before my time, I guess_.

"Couch!" The couch landed on top of the creature.

"Paige," Prue breathed in relief, running up her. "Thank God! The Wendigo was brought here by some skanky females who left and said they were going after you guys at the manor!"

"Yeah, those must have been the vampires that are attacking right now," Paige said, backing up as the Wendigo got back up. Prue waved her arm to send the Wendigo into the wall. "Careful," Paige warned when it almost went out the window, "that thing gets outta here and we'll have even more problems."

"I don't get it, it should only turn when the full moon's out, I thought," Prue said, puzzled.

"Knowing the power Christy has," Paige reasoned, "she was able to force the Wendigo to change."

"Phoebe doesn't have anything silver in here, and the only fire she has is a stove," Prue observed, waving her arm when the Wendigo got back up to send it into the wall again.

"I don't think it'll be up for that," Paige said. "How the hell are we gonna vanquish it?"

"Need some help?" Cole asked. "Where's Phoebe?"

"Fending off some vampires at the manor," Paige answered. "And yes, help would be appreciated."

Cole hurled an energy ball at the Wendigo, and it caused a decently sized wound, but not enough to kill it. It roared in pain and slashed at Paige, who orbed out and back in to dodge the attack.

Prue threw it into the wall again to stun it. Cole took the opportunity to strike again, and this time the Wendigo burst into flames.

When the echoes of its screams finally faded away, Paige asked, "Where's Billie?"

"She wasn't with me all of today," Cole said. "I just took her to the Underworld and she insisted she'd be fine alone. We bumped into each other – we'd both found nothing – and she asked to go back to the manor, and I came here to check on Phoebe."

Paige grabbed Prue's hand. "Then let's go check."

Billie telekinetically pushed a vampire into the sunlight, but more were coming. "Uh, I've killed at least a dozen by now and more keep appearing…!"

As she punched one vampire and elbowed another in the chest, Phoebe replied, "We have to vanquish the queen; it's the only way!"

"Where the heck is she?" Piper yelled from a corner, where vampires were gathering and she was blowing them away, piece by piece.

"She left," Coop answered.

"After Paige orbed out, she left. Probably didn't want to risk it," Henry added. The two men were throwing golf balls, still out from the other day, at vampires.

Paige orbed in with Prue, accompanied by Cole, who shimmered in. Seeing their entrance, Phoebe said, "Cole, make an energy ball as large as you can! Prue, protect Cole; Paige, orb Billie next to Cole."

Realizing what Phoebe was thinking, Cole began to form an energy ball as big as he could. Prue flung vampires coming at them away, and Paige called, "Billie!" Billie orbed from the dining room, where she had been fighting, near the front door.

Piper also realized what Phoebe had been scheming, and blew a path up the stairs and into the attic. Just as she suspected, the vampire queen was standing near the Book of Shadows. As soon as one of the Charmed Ones died, the Book might weaken and the queen was probably hoping that she could seize the opportunity to take the sacred tome. "Wow, vampire queen _and_ a thief," Piper snapped. "If you really tried, you could probably be better than Ocean's Eleven."

"You can't vanquish me," the queen said, grinning evilly. "Even throwing me in sunlight may not work, not if I can get out quick enough."

"Oh, can it, Vampira," Piper said. "Paige!"

Paige orbed in, immediately realized what Piper and Phoebe were up to, and grabbed the queen, orbing her to the living room, where everyone was still battling a large vampiric army. "Cole," she cried.

The queen, also seeing what was transpiring, elbowed Paige and shoved her out of the way. Prue saw this, and waved the queen into the wall. The queen sprang back up, but Piper came running down the stairs and froze her. "Quick!" The queen was fighting the freeze.

Cole released the energy ball, which was now as big as a watermelon, and threw it at the queen. Unfortunately, the queen had now come out of the freeze and dove out of the way. Simultaneously, Billie and Prue held their arms up, holding the energy ball in place. "I can't hold it for much longer," Prue said, tired from fighting the other vampires. Billie agreed.

The queen got back up and made a run for it, but Phoebe came up and kicked her back on the ground. "Paige!"

Paige called, "Vampire queen," and threw the figure at the energy ball. The queen hit it, and as she screamed in pain, her underlings joined with their anguished howls. A minute later, the smoke finally cleared and it was just the sisters and their lovers, Cole, and Billie standing in the living room.

"Wow," Henry said, covered in scratches and bruises. "Talk about a combined effort…"

"Talk about a _plan_," Prue said pointedly at Paige.

"Oh, pfft," Paige scoffed. "That did not go according to plan, we didn't plan for the queen to beat Piper's freeze and dive out of the way!"

Before the fight could continue, Piper shouted, "Shut up! Both of you! I am so sick of the two of you bickering like little old ladies."

"You two are not children," Phoebe yelled. "You two are full-grown women, _witches_. If you guys gave half a crap about Piper and me, you'd realize that the sooner you stop whining that your way is better, the quicker we could take care of this stupid situation!"

"We have had it with your arguing and petty issues!"

Prue and Paige shut up and looked down at their feet.

Piper sighed angrily. "Go out and buy stuff for this Sunday." She pushed Henry towards Paige. "You drive," she said to him. "Paige, show Prue what we need. And you two compromise on what you want to get."

"But what if—"

"No buts!" Phoebe shouted. "Get your tushies out to the market and buy everything we need!" Piper and Phoebe shoved them out the door and slammed it, locking it before they had a chance to say anything else.

"Oh my God, being the middle sister sucks," Phoebe sighed, sitting down.

"See what I had to deal with?" Piper said, plopping down next to Phoebe.

"Well, at least you can be grateful we didn't have powers back then," Phoebe said, smiling, "otherwise I would have been levitating around the supermarket to beat Prue to the ice cream isle, and she would have been telekinetically pushing my cereal brands away from me." Piper laughed, imagining it.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**More good feelings between Prue and Paige... XD**_

_**No worries, they'll work it out next chapter. This one was to continue setting it up for the next one, and to give you readers more action to have fun with. Lemme know what you thought!**_

_**Comments, questions, demands, responses, criticism, or mistakes -- no hesitation!**_

KateB819


	11. Catty Remarks and Ice Cream

_ChristineRudd, thanks... the quips make this story so much more fun to write. And if I had Prue and Paige become buddy-buddies, where would the fun be? :-P_

_WelshCanuck, yeah, the shopping was fun to write. I think Piper would be very frustrated at this point, don't you? XD Oh, your comment made my day!_

_CharmedNeptune47, the rant was a fun thing to put in, made me laugh, too!_

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, the store turned out be a funny scene, I think. Lemme know if you thought so, too... or not..._

_oooCharmedOneooo, ooh, a PL fan! I love PL, too, too bad not enough people write about them and stick with it. It's hard to write a fanfic, this was all because of summer boredom. ;-) I keep starting ones for UNDERWORLD and never continue them, so I thought I needed to start something new... and I love Charmed, so no harm done, lol_

_jiejei1, Grams was soooo cool and lovable, reminds me of my own grandma to an extent. Like I said, I would've brought her back, but I think it would have taken something away from Prue coming back._

_piperspeanut, originally I had them hitting a vampire with a baseball bat, but my brother thought golf balls would be funnier, and I agree! The shopping scene is pretty funny, I guess..._

_PrueAndyForever, LOL, I agree they both want to be right... I am trying to write it so that Prue is a bit insecure and Paige is trying to prove herself... Anyway, yeah the shopping scene was fun to write so I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

Paige was in front with Henry, while Prue was sitting in the back, arms crossed. She was glaring at the back of Paige's head as if she could melt it if she tried hard enough.

"Stop glaring," Paige snapped. "If you squint your eyes any more, they'll get stuck like that."

"Do you have a hair color," Prue replied, "or does it change every year? Does it change with the temperature?"

"Okay, if we can stop the catty remarks for a second or two," Henry cut in nervously, "which supermarket do you want to go to?"

"Joe's – it's a block or so away."

"Uh, more like a reality away," Paige replied, annoyed, "it closed like, four years ago." Ignoring another glare from Prue in the back, Paige said to Henry, "Go to the usual one."

Ten awkward minutes went by, and they pulled into the parking lot. "I'll sit in the car," Henry said as Prue sprang out as soon as he had parked. "Unless you need someone to carry out the bodies."

"Not funny," Paige said, cutting her eyes at him. "Although, if we're still in here when it gets dark, you may need to start looking for a new wife."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said, leaning over to kiss her. As Paige left the car, he added, "Who else am I going to find with such a variety of hair color?" Paige stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

"I want chocolate chip cookies," Prue said.

"Too bad; I want Piper to make brownies." Paige grabbed a box of brownie mix. Prue magically put it back on the shelf. "Cheater!"

Prue smirked at her.

"Enough of this." Paige pulled out her cell phone and called Piper, who actually picked up. "Hey, Piper. We were picking up desserts, and I want brownies but she wants cookies."

"And? You two have to come to a—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But, uhm… which one would you rather make?" Piper hung up. "Frick," Paige said, closing her phone. "Fine," she said, sighing, "how about I pick the dessert and you can pick the bread."

"THE BREAD?"

Paige shrugged, pushing the shopping cart. "Wheat, white, whole grain, rye, pumpernickel, sourdough, dinner rolls, Italian bread…"

"To hell with the bread," Prue grumbled, walking briskly to the bread isle, picking up a random loaf, and chucking it in the cart.

"Fine, whatever," Paige said, rolling her eyes. She checked 'bread' off the list. "Milk," she read off. "Whole milk, 1, 2, skim, or soy?"

"Ew, Cole drinks soy milk," Prue said.

"Ugh, I know! When Phoebe married the guy and moved out, I was so thankful that that crap wasn't in our refrigerator anymore." Paige grabbed a gallon of whole milk and showed it to Prue for her approval, which Prue gave. "And the way that guy eats potato chips!"

"Oh, definitely. It's like, can you _not_ shove a whole bunch in your mouth, please?"

They both laughed. "I should've known he was evil by the way he eats his ice cream," Paige giggled.

"I get what you mean! Cole _cannot_ lick an ice cream cone to save his life! I remember once he was eating one and the whole thing dripped right on the table, left a big thing on the table—"

"And Piper made him clean it up?"

"Uh huh!"

"Yeah, she did that right after their honeymoon! If looks could kill!" They both were hysterical by now.

"Have you seen the way Cole folds laundry?" Prue gasped for air.

"If you want to call it that… He just kind of bundles it up into a ball and crams it into the laundry basket!"

"Oh, when Piper first saw that, she blew a gasket! She went to the laundry basket and there were all these balls of clothes in there, and she was ironing out those wrinkles for _hours_!"

"I can imagine!"

They both stopped their laughing to wipe tears from their eyes. There was a moment of silence.

Prue looked at Paige. "I'm sorry that we got off on the wrong foot," Prue apologized.

"No, I'm sorry. I haven't even considered how hard it would be for you, coming back after six years."

"It's me that wasn't considerate. I mean, here you are six years fighting demons with them, and I come along and tell you that you're not doing things right."

"I had no right to taunt you. You were their older sister; it's only natural that you would automatically assume the role of lead sister again. I should have been more understanding. There is more than one way to do something – if I've learned anything by now, it's that."

"But I was so immature about this whole thing, so stubborn and resistant. There was no reason for that."

"And there was no reason for me to do it, either."

Another silence.

"Man, Grams is really something, isn't she?" Prue chuckled.

"Huh?"

"I'm willing to bet my chocolate chip cookies that Grams put Piper and Phoebe up to this. Grams used to pull this stunt on Phoebe and me when we were growing up."

"Wouldn't surprise me." Paige smiled. "So they had this plan all along, even if we hadn't snapped at each other before."

Prue smiled back. "Mm hmm." She had an evil glint in her eye. "I say we get our revenge and get both the chocolate chip cookies and brownies."

"But… What about compromising?"

"I think we've worked out our differences," Prue said, grabbing a box of brownie mix and chocolate chip cookie dough. "Besides, Grams forgot one thing – when Phoebe and I were sent out shopping, we didn't have enough money to get what we both wanted. Now…"

"We do," Paige finished.

They continued shopping, without arguing over what to get or what not to get.

* * *

Phoebe and Coop were sitting in their condo. "I hope they don't kill each other at the market," Phoebe fretted. "Prue's got a temper and Paige is not much better."

"Maybe if they do, Piper could save some money on cereal."

"Ha, ha," Phoebe said, curling up to him on the couch.

Someone shimmered in behind them. Phoebe sprang up. It took a moment to recognize him, but the moment she did, she fell into her fighting stance. "Drazi," she greeted.

"Wow, you remember me, witch?"

"Why not? You went after the first Cupid I met." She looked at Coop. "Get out of here, now. This guy's not too partial to Cupids."

"I'm sure he's not too partial to witches, either," Coop responded. "I'm staying as long as you are."

"How sweet," Drazi said sarcastically.

Being the demon of hate, Drazi stuck his arm out. Phoebe felt a wave of anger and resentment flood through her, all of it directed at Coop. Coop face was contorted in rage as well, but a light red glow emitted from his ring, and his expression changed back. Phoebe's did not.

Drazi laughed maniacally. "How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it," he sneered, quoting Marcus Aurelius.

"Phoebe, snap out of it," Coop said as Phoebe approached him, still in her fighting stance.

* * *

"Prue and Paige scare me," Leo said. Piper laughed. "I'm serious. I've known both of them as long as they have been witches and both of them are dangerous if you push the right buttons."

"Right, it's a button-pushing contest," Piper said, cleaning up after the boys. "I just hope they don't kill each other deciding which to get, bacon or sausage."

A darklighter appeared next to Piper and before she had a chance to react, she punched her, sending her flying into the wall.

Leo recognized him after a few seconds. "Alec?"

Alec glared at Leo with enough anger to start a world war. "Hello, Leo," he said, his voice covered with hatred. "How are you and your girl doing?"

Piper stood up with a nice bruise on her face. "Alec, if you shoot him, it won't have the same effect; he's not a Whitelighter anymore."

"I know that," he said angrily, as if he was insulted that she would think he was that clueless. "But he won't survive if I shoot him straight through the heart!" A crossbow appeared in his hands and he aimed it at Leo, and fired in one fluid motion.

Piper immediately froze the room. She unfroze Leo. "Run, she told him."

"What? No, I'm not leaving you!" He moved out of the path of the arrow. Piper walk up to him to push him out of the room.

Alec fought the freeze and immediately shot another arrow at Piper. Having been focused on Leo, she didn't have a chance to dodge it and the first arrow hit Piper in the chest, the second one soared through the air and lodged itself in her arm. Piper fell backwards.

She got dizzy and nauseous as the blood flowed from the wounds. She tried to get the strength to blow Alec up, but could hardly stay conscious. She felt Leo drop to her side to help her, trying to keep her awake. She tried to fight it as the welcoming blackness slowly covered her in its blissful abyss.

* * *

"I think we got everything," Paige said, carrying bags to the car. "Ah, it's only Tuesday… we can always go back."

"Yeah, but I don't think Piper would be happy about it," Prue said, also carrying bags.

"Piper's not happy when there's smudges on the glasses," Paige replied. Two figures appeared behind them, but Paige and Prue pretended not to notice. In front of their bags, where the figures could not see, Paige held up one finger, then two, then three…

"Garbage can!" Paige called, throwing it at one of the figures, while Prue smashed the other one against the parking lot ground. Luckily, no one was around, since not many people went shopping at two o'clock on a workday.

Sprawled out on the ground, Gabriel stood back up. "Witch!"

Springing off the ground, Sykes growled something Prue couldn't understand.

Simultaneously, Prue and Paige asked, "Who are you?" at different demons.

Gabriel yelled and thrust his sword at Paige, who orbed to safety.

"Gabriel, a warlock whose sword makes him invincible," Prue said, dodging an energy ball from Sykes. "What's with the Belthazor-look-alike?"

"Uh," Paige said as the sword came at her again. She orbed away again. "Sykes, an upper-level demon."

"Damn it, then we need a potion," Prue said, evading another energy ball.

"Better idea," Paige said. She called, "Sword," and threw it at Prue, who realized what Paige had in mind. She waved it at Sykes, who exploded. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

Gabriel drew his sword back to him. "How will you kill me, witch?" he taunted. "There's only two of you, anyway!"

"Yeah, and you just pissed off the wrong two," Paige said. She glanced at Prue. _Again_, her eyes read. "Sword!" She passed it on to Prue.

"I think we need to make a point," Prue said, throwing the orbs at Gabriel, who also exploded, screaming in agony.

"Music to my ears," Paige said. They went to pick up the groceries, which they had dropped. "I think everything is okay," Prue said, checking the bags over quickly.

"Hmm," Paige said as they approached the car. "If we were just attacked, I wonder if…"

"…Piper and Phoebe were attacked, too?"

"Yeah," Paige said, pleasantly surprised they were already finishing each other's sentences. They ran to put the groceries in the car, briefed Henry on what was going on, telling him to stay put until things had been taken care of. Paige orbed them back to the manor.

* * *

Alec had just shot another arrow at Piper. Prue waved the arrow away from Piper, sending it into the wall. "Paige, go; this is a darklighter. Check on Phoebe." Without hesitation, Paige listened to her older sister and orbed to the condo to find Phoebe staring Coop down, seeming to ignore the fact that there was another demon in the room. "Plant," Paige called, dropping it on the demon's head, knocking him out.

"Paige, help," Coop said as Phoebe stepped closer to him.

Paige grabbed Phoebe. She had such anger in her eyes, anger like Paige had never seen before. "Phoebe, focus! Who is this guy?" She pointed at Drazi.

"Coop," Phoebe said, clenching her fists, about to punch him.

"No, the demon! Who is he?"

Phoebe's intense expression lessened a bit. "Drazi," she said, trancelike. Paige could see she was fighting whatever magic had been cast on her. "Demon of Hate…"

"Listen to me, he's put some whammy on you so you're angry at Coop. Look at him." Phoebe glanced over. "This is your husband, the man you swore to love, honor, and cherish. You have to fight whatever it is Drazi has done to you."

She could see Phoebe resisting.

"Fool," Drazi said. "You can't fight anger, anger feeds everything in the world. No one has been able to fight my power!"

"Guess again," Phoebe said, all anger gone. "You just made the wrong woman angry," she said, kicking him hard enough to send him into the wall. "How do we kill this guy," Phoebe asked out loud, even though those with her had not been with her the last time Drazi was vanquished. "He doesn't even have the ring!"

"Well, if he's the Demon of Hate, couldn't we just kill him with love," Paige suggested.

"Good idea," Coop said. He stuck his arm out, aiming his ring at Drazi. A bright pink stream of light shot out of the ring and hit Drazi. The magical pure love emitting from Coop's ring was more than enough to vanquish Drazi. He exploded in flames, shrieking in agony and howling in pain. Finally, the flames faded away with his screams.

"Yeah, that'll wake the neighbors," Phoebe said.

"Oh, the manor is under attack," Paige said, grabbing Phoebe's hand and orbing her to the manor.

Alec didn't let up, and he had a quick trigger finger. As soon as Paige had orbed out, he shot another arrow at Prue. She had been distracted with Paige, and narrowly managed to jump out of the way, and the arrow shot through the window.

"Maybe we could just seal the whole room off," Prue said, annoyed. She looked to the other side of the room, where Leo was bending over Piper. Prue couldn't see how badly she was hurt, but it must have been pretty bad because Piper wasn't getting up.

"Your time has come, witch," Alec taunted, firing another arrow.

Prue waved it back at him, but it didn't kill him; it flew and pierced his leg. He yelled in pain and anger. "Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Piper finally got the strength to get back up, and Prue was able to assess Piper's wounds; an arrow in the chest and another in her arm. Alec tried to shoot Piper this time, but Prue pulled the crossbow out of his hands, and it clattered to the floor. Piper raised her good arm and exploded Alec. When his cries died away, Prue ran to Piper.

Paige and Phoebe orbed in. "Whoa," Phoebe said, the both of them also running to Piper's side.

"I feel like a pincushion," Piper whined, looking at the arrows sticking out of her.

"Well, you're a very cute pincushion," Leo said. He snapped the arrowheads off, so that when they pulled them out, it wouldn't hurt as much.

Prue used her power to pull the arrows out as quickly as she could, which caused to Piper to yelp in pain. Paige healed Piper.

"Ooh, that Christy," Phoebe huffed.

"We'll figure something out," Paige said, getting her cell phone to tell Henry it was safe – for the moment, anyway – to bring the groceries home.

"So, how was shopping?" Piper gave them both an amused look.

"Well, other than some fighting over brownies versus cookies," Paige began, dialing Henry.

"And the loaf of bread is a bit squashed," Prue said, smiling sheepishly.

"But I think we figured it out," Paige said. "Although, we have Cole to thank."

"Why?" Phoebe asked.

"We bonded over his idiosyncrasies," Paige grinned.

"Hmm," Phoebe said, "like the way he eats his ice cream?"

Everyone laughed.

"Oh, I got so mad at him – every time! EVERY TIME, he would drip on the damn table!" Piper fumed. "How can you live a hundred years and not know that you can bite the bottom of an ice cream cone?"

Cole shimmered in, and everyone gave him an amused look. "What?"

"Nothing," Phoebe answered. "We were just talking about… uh… ice cream."

"Oh, do we have any ice cream cones in the freezer?"

"No," Piper replied quickly, "and thank God for that."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Okay, thank you to everyone for commenting. I had fun writing the shopping scene, hope you guys enjoyed it. This one was decently long and the next one should be about the same length...**_

_**As usual, don't hesitate to point about mistakes, criticize, ask about something, demand for something, or just leave a comment... Thank you for reading!**_

KateB819


	12. The Power of Four

_ChristineRudd, thanks! I liked that chapter too! Yeah, I thought since they both didn't trust Cole I could use that as something for them to bond over. Thanks, I tried to make it as natural as could be..._

_WelshCanuck, yeah, I can see Cole doing it too, hehehe... Well, your wish is my command I'm putting up two chapters! LOL Glad to give you the break in your day, sorry I wasn't able to make a Monday better for you. (Today's my birthday)_

_PrueAndyForever, yeah that made sense... I liked the shopping scene, too! The glaring was funny, because I figure that's what you would do if you were trapped in a car with someone that you're really angry with... not that I'm speaking from experience, coughcough And I love writing action scenes... I'm not great at it, but it's better than continuous dialog.  
_

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, thanks! I thought it might be a funny twist..._

_cousinsrock, yeah, if you go back to check now I changed it. I was a bit fuzzy on Billie's powers, since I'd missed half of S8, but now that I watched it, I have a much better idea. Thanks for pointing it out, though!_

_jiejei1, I love making people laugh, glad I was able to make you laugh!! I might bring back future Chris (the one from the one where Wyatt stays good), so if I bring back the other future Chris (where Wyatt is corrupted) it might get confusing, so maybe that'll be an idea for another story... Thanks for the suggestion!!_

_piperspeanut, yeah Grams is smart. The plan did work out, just not in the way expected. It's nice to bond over things you don't know, it shows no one is perfect. And yes, Christy is definitely in for it... -P_

* * *

The Crone was standing with Shax. Originally, she had been paired with Tempus, and Shax had been partnered with Shadow, but the Crone had better ideas. "Tempus is just like me," she said out loud, although Shax wasn't too interested in her talking. "Just waiting for an opportunity to strike. But you, all you have to do is wait for me to deprive the sisters of their senses. Worked like a charm last time; all you have to do is wait until I'm sure the magic is working, and you can attack!"

Then, she began putting her plan into action.

* * *

_That Crone, she may prefer to wait for an opportunity,_ Tempus thought, _but eventually she'll get impatient and it'll be my turn to strike. The witches can't fight time! I'll send Shax's partner, Shadow, in. All I have to do is keep turning time back so they will deplete all nine of his lives, and he'll be invincible!_

* * *

Piper was cleaning up Wyatt and Chris's breakfast when Leo came in. "I'll take the boys to Dad's," she told him as he began to drink his coffee. "He's only off the one day this week, which kind of sucks with everything going on…"

"Well, at least he can spend it with his favorite grandchildren," Leo said, smiling. "I think I'll give Billie a hand with looking for Christy after I'm done with my coffee."

Piper grabbed the boys and put them in the car. She drove to Victor's place.

"Hey, Dad," Piper said, handing Chris to Victor. Always happy to see his grandpa, Chris was laughing and welcomed Victor. Wyatt was happy to see his grandpa, too, and hugged Victor's leg.

"Are you sure you'll be good taking care of them today?"

"Sure, it's my pleasure," he said, leaning over to kiss his daughter. "How's Prue? I feel so bad that I can't take the time off to see her."

"Well, if we survive this, that shouldn't be too much of a problem," Piper said. "She's okay, still trying to adjust to everything. It's hard, but we'll get through it."

"That's my daughters," he said, helping Chris settle in the playpen and turning on the television for Chris.

"Okay, so I'm gonna leave," Piper said, hugging her father good-bye. "I don't want Billie and Leo going crazy in the attic." She got back in her car.

She was about halfway home when the Crone took away her vision with the totem, and Piper crashed right into a telephone pole, causing her car to flip over.

* * *

Today was a big day for Phoebe. There was an award ceremony, where Phoebe was to receive an award for being the best advice columnist of the year. Therefore, when the speaker announced that she had won the award, Phoebe ran up on stage, and took the award from her, thanking her. The speaker stepped aside, giving Phoebe the floor.

She went up on stage, ready to make a speech in front of all the important journalists, advice columnists, writers, and reporters in San Francisco.

Which was when the Crone stripped her of her voice.

* * *

Prue was sitting with Coop in Phoebe's condo. Coop had agreed to stay home with Prue, since she wasn't angry, unlike yesterday.

"Hmm," Coop said suddenly. "Phoebe's upset about something," he told Prue, sensing his wife's distress. "I'm gonna go check on her," he said, teleporting out.

The phone rang – the caller ID read "Halliwell manor." Prue picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Prue… it's me, Billie." She sounded distant, upset, drained, scared, and shaken all at the same time.

"What's wrong?"

"Uhm, Piper was in an accident," she said slowly, as if she wasn't sure it was happening herself.

"Oh my God, what kind of accident?" Prue's mind spun at the possibilities. _Did one of the demons succeed in killing her_? "Is she okay?"

She panicked even more when there was no answer. "Billie? BILLIE?!"

The Crone had taken away her hearing.

* * *

Paige was with Henry at work when Piper called Paige. Not the traditional way, either.

"Jingling," Paige said, making Henry jump. "Huh, it sounds important."

"Go ahead," Henry said. "I think I can track down a couple parolees on my own."

Paige orbed to Piper, who was still trapped in her upside-down car. "Oh my God!"

Luckily, it was a deserted part of the city, so no one saw it – not yet, anyway. Paige called out, "Piper," and Piper appeared in her arms.

"What happened?" Paige asked.

"I can't see anything," Piper told her weakly. "I think it was the Crone."

"Makes sense," Paige replied, orbing her home. She healed Piper on the couch in the attic. Leo sat beside Piper and kissed her, a bit shocked at how suddenly it had happened. "Billie, call Prue and Phoebe to let them know." Billie left to do so.

"If it's the Crone, how come I'm not missing any senses?" More jingling. "Ugh," Paige said, shaking her head, as if it would remove the jingling. "Hmm, Prue's panicking over something…"

"Paige!" Billie called, running in with the phone. "Prue can't hear me and I think she thinks Piper's really hurt."

Paige orbed to Prue, who was screaming into the phone hysterically. Paige ran up to her and grabbed her, and said, "Piper's fine, I healed her."

Prue didn't quite seem to be getting it and was now more hysterical than ever. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes, her body shaking with sobs.

_Oh my God, she can't hear me_, Paige realized. She shook Prue hard to snap her out of it. "PRUE!"

Prue stopped her hysterics and gasped for air. Paige let her go and grabbed a notepad and pen and wrote down, "Don't panic. A demon we vanquished named the Crone has taken your hearing. She's taken Piper's sight as well – PIPER IS FINE – and probably Phoebe's voice, since I'm fine." Then she underlined, "We will figure this out."

Prue calmed down. Paige wrote on the notepad, "I'm orbing you back to the manor, and then I'm going to find Phoebe."

Prue nodded, then something hit her. "Coop said Phoebe was upset over something," she spoke in a loud voice, making Paige jump. "Maybe it's related." Paige nodded and orbed them back to the manor's attic. No one was there. "Maybe they're downstairs," Prue hypothesized. "I'll go find them, you get Phoebe."

Paige orbed into the bathroom at the Bay Mirror, and went to Phoebe's office. Coop, Phoebe, and Elise were standing there.

"This is so odd," Elise was saying. "You were fine this morning." Phoebe just nodded, tears in her eyes.

_Oh boy,_ Paige thought, _I forgot she was getting an award today_. "Well, these things will just sneak up on ya, won't they?"

Elise turned around. "Oh, hi, Paige. How'd you hear about what happened?"

"I called her," Coop supplied.

"I didn't see you call her," Elise said.

"Oh, I did it before you saw me."

"Uh… huh…" Elise wasn't buying it for a second.

"Elise, can I talk to them alone?" Paige flashed her a smile.

"Fine," Elise said. "Take care of that laryngitis, Phoebe."

As soon as she left, Paige said, "I think it's the—"

"Crone?" Phoebe mouthed.

"Yeah. Piper lost her sight and was in a car accident – she's fine, now – and Prue lost her hearing."

"This is so weird," Coop commented.

"Not so much. It's happened to us before." She grabbed Phoebe. "Let me orb you to the manor, and Billie and I will figure it out." She orbed them to the manor. "Hmm, Billie isn't here… that's odd." Jingling, again. "Billie's in trouble!" Paige orbed out, leaving Phoebe behind.

Phoebe had no idea where everyone was, but she wandered until she heard voices.

"Prue, where are you?" They were in the conservatory, Piper was sitting on the couch, and Prue was walking out, towards the dining room.

"Oh, thank God," Prue screamed in Phoebe's face. "I was wondering where everyone was."

Phoebe began to talk, but all she could do was move her mouth with no sound coming out.

"Yeah, I'm right here," Piper said from behind Prue.

Of course, Prue didn't hear her. "I can't hear you," she said to Phoebe.

Phoebe pointed behind Prue, but Prue was confused. "Yeah, I just came from there." Phoebe turned Prue around. She saw Piper. "Oh, Piper! I thought you left with Billie."

"Where'd Billie go?"

Prue didn't get what Piper asked.

"Hello? Prue?"

"Yeah?" Prue understood those two words.

"Oh, you must've lost your hearing." Piper walked in the direction she thought Prue was in, but she accidentally walked right into the wall. "Ow!" She turned right, hoping she was going in the right direction this time, but it was Chris's playpen, which she tripped over and wound up falling headfirst into. "Help!" Prue ran over to pull Piper out.

"Geez, you could've at least helped, Pheebs," Prue muttered.

"Where's Phoebe?"

"What?"

Phoebe stamped her foot in frustration.

"Don't be so impatient with me," Piper said, thinking Prue had been the one that stamped her foot.

"What?" Prue asked again, dumbly.

Phoebe went over to shake Piper. "Prue, what is wrong with you? Why are you shaking me?"

"What did she say?" Prue asked Phoebe. Phoebe gave her an exasperated look.

"What did who say?" Piper was so confused.

"Phoebe, what did Piper just say?"

"Oh, Phoebe!" Piper lit up. "I thought that was Prue shaking me." Phoebe grabbed Piper's hands and placed them on her face, shaking her head to convey the message. "Oh, you lost your voice!" With Piper's hands still on her face, Phoebe nodded. "Well, where is everyone?"

Prue shrugged.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Piper couldn't see Prue's shrug. "Where's Paige?"

"Oh, I think I heard you ask where Paige was," Prue said. "She orbed off somewhere."

"Where?"

"I dunno. Phoebe?"

"Billie," Phoebe mouthed. "Trouble."

"Billie? Trouble?"

"Oh, I've had enough of this," Piper huffed. "Let's kill the stupid Crone before I lose my mind with my eyesight!"

"What?" Prue asked.

Piper turned around and walked right into the window.

* * *

Paige orbed in to see Billie stabbing a warlock. "Paige, thank God," Billie said as she ran up to Paige. "I've vanquished this guy eight times, he won't stay dead!"

"That's weird," Paige noted. "Let's get out of here." She raised her eyebrow. "How did you get in this alley, anyway?"

"I was in the attic after I walked Piper downstairs, since I saw Prue walk downstairs, and that guy grabbed me and blinked me out of there."

"Hmmm…" Paige grabbed Billie and orbed her back to the manor's kitchen, where the sisters were mixing potions. "What's going on here?"

Piper was nervously stirring. "We're vanquishing the Crone. Is Billie with you?"

"Yeah."

Prue was staring at them, not having understood one word other than "Yeah." "'Yeah, ' what?"

Paige just shook her head, telling her it wasn't important. "Billie was attacked by a warlock that died eight times but hasn't stayed dead."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Shadow," she mouthed.

"Whose Shadow?" Prue asked. "Wait, did a warlock attack you, but you killed it a bunch of times and it didn't stay dead?"

Billie just nodded.

"Shadow!" Paige and Billie gave Prue a puzzled look. "He was this warlock we vanquished, but he was like a cat… he had nine lives and if you get rid of all of them, he becomes a warlock forever."

"I knew something was fishy about him," Billie punned.

Paige made a disgusted face. "Yeah, uh huh. So how did you guys vanquish him?"

"Well, we had to use a time spell," Piper explained.

Cole shimmered in. "We have an issue."

"What did he say?" Prue said.

"What did who say? Is that Cole?"

Phoebe stood there helplessly.

"What, uh… what happened?" Cole said, bemused.

"Phoebe can't speak, Piper can't see, and Prue can't hear. The Crone took their senses, and we have to vanquish a warlock that we aren't allowed to vanquish until…" Paige, paused, looking at the calendar. "Tomorrow."

"Oh," Cole said. "Thanks for… making things more confusing."

"No problem," Piper replied.

"Anyway, I guess this might be related. I just found out that originally, the Crone and Tempus were paired up as well as Shax and some guy named Shadow. But now they've switched."

"Why?"

"Who cares, all that we care about is that now we know they'll both be coming at us; Christy has sent them after us next."

"Wait," Paige said. "Okay, so we're saying Shadow has to survive until tomorrow, and is working with Tempus…—"

"—If we use this to our advantage—" Piper interrupted.

"—We could fast forward one day… and kill Shadow!"

"And it would vanquish Tempus, too, since taking him out of the time he's in is the only way to vanquish him!" Piper realized.

Prue seemed to realize they were saying something important. "I don't know what you guys just said, but why don't we use a spell and make it tomorrow, so that both Shadow and Tempus are vanquished?"

"Sounds good," Cole said, which Prue understood and smiled.

* * *

They gathered in the attic – Piper had needed Paige to orb her upstairs, saying, "There's no way in hell I'm gonna walk into a wall." Apparently, they had rearranged the furniture in the house too many times in the last year to accompany Piper, Leo, and the boys' needs for Piper to remember where everything was.

Not being able to speak, Phoebe couldn't read the spell; not being able to see, Piper couldn't read the spell, either. That left Prue, and the rest of them stood by in case something that wasn't according to plan happened. "See, plans work," Prue commented to Paige, this time not to prove Paige wrong.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Paige said, smacking her sister playfully. "Just read the damn spell!"

Prue went to the Book of Shadows and read the spell out loud:

_Winds of time gather around _

_Give me wings to speed my way. _

_Rush me on my journey forward _

_Let tomorrow be today._

In a flash, Tempus and Shadow were standing in front of them. Suddenly, they both burst out screaming, pain, and horror in their voice.

"Damn witches," Shadow roared.

Tempus was consumed in flames. "Go to hell you bit—"

Then the screams were gone.

"Wow, synchronized dying," Paige retorted. "Wonder if they can turn that into an Olympic sport."

Piper laughed. "Time to get the Crone."

* * *

Prue, Paige, and Piper stood next to each other in a line. Piper had written the spell (or rather, typed it up, since writing was harder with her condition), so the loss of sight wasn't as big a factor.

Phoebe didn't have a voice, so she didn't bother saying the spell. Besides, they had the Power of Three.

The three sisters chanted, with everyone waiting tensely.

_We sisters three_

_Wish to see_

_The one called the Crone_

_In the sanctuary of our own home._

The Crone appeared, not expecting this at all. "How did you manage to disappear for a whole day?" she demanded.

"What's the matter, your monkey totem unable to reach us," Piper asked rhetorically. The Crone snarled at her. She went to teleport, but Prue didn't need her hearing to wave the Crone into the wall.

"Crone," Paige called, putting her right in front of Piper. "She's in front of you; blow her up!"

Piper did it, but the Crone moved out of the way.

Using her powers, Billie was able to deflect the blast from Piper and direct it back at the Crone, who exploded in a wall of flames, yelling in pain and cursing the witches.

Piper gasped. "Ooh, I can see again!"

Prue hugged Piper, "I heard you!"

Phoebe cleared her throat. "Damn, looks like I can't talk about you guys to your face anymore," Phoebe laughed.

Happy that her sisters could communicate again, Paige observed, "We still need to vanquish Shax."

Leo came in, holding the boys. "We're, uh… back from Grandpa's…" He looked around him. "What happened here?"

"We vanquished the Crone, Shadow, and Tempus. Now we're going after some guy named Shax," Billie clued him in.

"Not just 'some guy,' he's the one that killed me," Prue said. "Time to pay him back."

Cole replied, "Well, seeing as how he kept going after Paige relentlessly, I'd say that it won't be long before he shows up, now that the Crone won't be there to hold him back."

As if on cue, Shax showed up. "I'm more powerful than you can imagine," he taunted. "Christy cast a spell to give me more power than ever before!"

Reading each other's minds, Paige, Piper, and Phoebe ran to the Book of Shadows and read,

_Evil wind that blows, _

_That which forms below. _

_No longer will you dwell, _

_Death takes you with this spell._

But it didn't work. Shax shot some energy at them, which Billie deflected into the wall. "Hurry!"

"The Power of Three isn't strong enough," Phoebe realized.

"Prue," Piper said.

"We need the Power of Four!" Paige moved out of the way to make room for Prue. Together, they read the spell again.

_Evil wind that blows, _

_That which forms below. _

_No longer will you dwell, _

_Death takes you with this spell._

A powerful surge of power flowed through them as magic stronger than anyone could comprehend shot out of them in a huge beam of energy. This time, he went up in flames, anguished howling echoing in the attic.

Breathless and still in awe of the energy channeled through them, all Prue could say was, "The Power of Four."

* * *

**  
Author's Note:**

_**I know that the whole thing from "Sense and Sensability" wasn't as good as the one on the show itself (the part with the three of them and Piper walking around blind was hilarious, my favorite scene of all time), but I made it as funny as I could...  
**_

_**Anyway, two chapters up for your viewing pleasure... XD**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

KateB819


	13. Where’s the fire?

That evening, Paige found Prue sitting outside on the stoop. "Hey."

"Hi," she said, smiling weakly.

"What's up?" She playfully punched Prue.

She shook her head. "It was just startling, seeing Shax… considering he's the one that…" Her voice trailed off.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he killed me, too." Prue gave her a bewildered look. "In another reality," Paige added. "Cole did this reality change a while back so that they never found out about me, and it turns out Shax succeeded in killing me."

"Wow. Looks like we have more in common that I thought."

Paige smiled at her. "I think the only thing we don't have in common is our taste in dessert."

Prue laughed.

* * *

Everyone was sitting there, finishing dinner. Usually, Phoebe and Coop, and Paige and Henry had dinner at their own place, but considering they were getting attacked left and right everyone figured it would be better to stick together, at least when they were awake.

"I'll clear the table," Phoebe said. Piper went to play with the boys, Prue and Paige went back outside to sit on the stoop, and the men went to watch television. Carrying a stack of dirty dishes to the kitchen sink, Phoebe returned to get the glasses and cups when two Grimlocks appeared in front of her. She went to call for someone when the taller of the two reached out and balled his hand into a fist.

Phoebe began to sputter and choke. The Grimlock was killing Phoebe, since they went after those with good, pure auras. She tried to fight back, call for help, anything, but the pain of even breathing was too much for Phoebe. Phoebe was fighting just to stay awake, but that was getting harder and harder with each passing moment.

* * *

Piper was bouncing Chris on her lap, something he apparently enjoyed because he was laughing like crazy.

Wyatt was laughing for no real apparent reason, just happy to see his brother happy. They were in Wyatt's room, since his was the bigger of the two. Piper and Leo were still in their room (Prue's old bedroom), Wyatt had taken Phoebe's room, and Chris was now in Paige's room. Of course, Prue probably wouldn't stay with Phoebe forever… so where would she go?

Piper's smile concealed her thoughts as she gently tickled Chris, creating more laughs from the three-year-old boy, and a few giggles from her four-year-old son.

Then someone shimmered into the room, and Wyatt automatically put up his force field. Piper put Chris down on the ground, looking over the demon slowly. "You're the Lazarus demon," Piper realized. She looked down at her oldest son, who was hugging Chris protectively. "It's okay, sweetie. You can stop the force field, now." Wyatt looked up as if he wasn't quite sure he had heard his mother correctly. "Wyatt, honey, mommy knows what she's doing." Wyatt reluctantly let it go.

Piper blew up the demon before it could make a move, and it collapsed into a pile of ashes. Chris began to cry.

* * *

Paige and Prue were sitting outside, enjoying the night air. "You think Piper's gonna be mad when she finds out we bought brownies _and_ cookies?" They had been the ones to pack up the groceries.

"Ha, probably. How was she as the oldest sister?"

"We had some problems in the beginning, sort of like the ones you and I had?"

Prue gave her a funny look. "The problem I had with you wasn't even your fault."

"I thought your problem with me was that I don't always follow a plan."

"No," Prue laughed. "I've been known to deviate myself," she admitted. "It was more that I was… afraid that I had been replaced after I died." A tear made its way down Prue's cheek. "I mean, I die and apparently it's like, six years later, and here you are, battling demons with my sisters for twice as long as I was. I was afraid they valued you more as a witch and as a sister than me."

Paige hugged Prue as more tears streamed down her cheek. "Oh, Prue," Paige said, her eyes getting wet now, too. "I had no idea!" She squeezed her older sister. "I was afraid of the same thing! That they would realize they had a better thing with you than they had with me, and leave me for you." They were both crying now. "I always felt like I was expected to continue your legacy, to strive to be even half a good a witch as you."

"You already are!" They cried for a few more moments, and when they were done, they were both gasping for air. "Feel better?" Prue asked, smiling at Paige.

Paige just laughed and leaned her head on Prue's shoulder.

* * *

Cole shimmered Billie upstairs, just in time to see Wyatt and Chris helping Piper sweep up some ashes. "Where's the fire?" Cole asked.

"Your friend the Lazarus demon just paid us a visit," Piper replied, not amused.

"Oh no! Are the boys okay?"

"Uh, Chris was crying a bit, but Wyatt was fine," Piper said, finishing putting the ashes into a box. "Why don't you get Phoebe, Cole, and she can come with us to bury this thing. Prue and Paige can stay behind and bond." Cole nodded. "Billie, want to come with and the men can watch the boys?"

"Sure," Billie said, and Cole shimmered down to get Phoebe.

Phoebe was on her knees, her life being drained by the Grimlock.

Cole threw an energy ball at the Grimlock attacking Phoebe, and it jerked back, growling. Phoebe dropped to the floor unconscious.

Realizing that the most her could do was stun and slightly wound the Grimlock; he grabbed Phoebe and shimmered her upstairs, grabbed Piper before she could say anything, and shimmered back downstairs.

"Blow them up!"

"I can't," Piper screamed, blowing away the Grimlocks. "You can only vanquish them with a potion!"

Paige orbed in. "What the hell?"

"Get the crystals," Piper yelled, trying to freeze them, only for them to come out of it immediately. Paige orbed back out and, within seconds, she had the crystals and placed them around the Grimlocks. Piper slowed her breathing.

"What the hell are these things?" Paige asked, regarding them. "And what happened to Phoebe?"

"Where is she?"

"Prue's watching her," Paige answered. "I sensed something was wrong with her, but apparently a little too late.

Piper sighed with relief. "These are Grimlocks. We vanquished them the first time the first year we were witches."

"First time? How many times have you vanquished them?"

"The second and last time we fought them was when," she gave Cole a look, "when Cole was trying to kill us and sent us back in time. They attacked the manor and Leo and Darryl had to fend them off."

"They look like Darth Vader after he had his helmet taken off," Paige joked.

Piper and Cole gave her a look.

"What? Henry's been watching some Star Wars marathons," she said. "Whatever, let's go check on Phoebe."

Everyone had gathered in the attic, where Paige had brought Phoebe. She was still unconscious, but she was alive.

"Damn Grimlocks," Leo said.

Prue looked around, confused. "Wait a second, where's Darryl?"

Piper and Paige exchanged glances. "He's, uhm… out of the picture," Leo explained.

All of the sudden, Cole began screaming in pain.

The Furies showed up in the middle of the attic. "Leo, Henry, Coop, get out of here," Prue yelled. She knew they were probably feeling useless at this point, but it was better for them to feel useless than to get the three of them killed. The first Fury went after Piper. "What, are ya gonna smoke me again?" Piper went to blow it up, but it slashed her across the face.

"I thought Furies only went after evildoers," Paige said, going to check after Cole, who was passed out.

"Maybe they're under strict orders of Christy," Billie said, waving one across the room.

"I'm gonna get Cole out of here," Paige said, going to him to orb him out, "unless you want to use him as a projectile."

"Nah, I'm good," Piper said, trying to dodge the Fury's swipes.

"Swiper, no swiping," Billie yelled at the Fury that had chosen to go after her.

Phoebe stirred on the couch. Prue waved hers into the wall. "What are these things?" Prue asked Billie, and she just shrugged. The one Piper was fighting began choking her.

Paige orbed in, athame in hand. She stabbed Piper's in the back, and it burst into flames. Prue's breathed smoke into her face, but Prue didn't breathe it in.

Phoebe sat up, groggy.

The Fury attacking Prue knocked her down, pinning down her arms and trying to breathe in her face. Prue held her breath, but could only do it for so long. Ignoring the ringing in her head and the extreme fatigue swallowing her, Phoebe got up and pulled the Fury off of Prue. She kneed the Fury in the face so that blood flowed from her nose.

"Catch," Paige said, throwing the athame to Phoebe. Phoebe caught it tentatively, and stabbed the Fury in the chest.

Paige called for the athame again and threw the orbs toward Billie's Fury, Billie flung the orbs at the Fury, and it hit the Fury in the middle of her forehead.

All the Furies had been vanquished.

Drained of energy, Phoebe fell to the ground again, still conscious. Cole dropped to her side. "Phoebe."

"I'm okay," she said weakly. "Where are the Grimlocks?"

"Why don't Paige and I make it; Piper, you and Billie can go and bury the Lazarus demon…" Prue said, assuming command.

"Sounds good to me," Cole commented. "Phoebe should stay home and rest."

And this is exactly what they did.

* * *

It was almost midnight, and everyone was saying their farewells. Cole and Billie returned to their hotel room, and the sisters were hugging each other goodbye.

Then, Andras appeared outside the front window… and began to work his magic.

"I guess we'll all meet here, tomorrow," Paige commented.

Anger shot into the four sisters.

"Why here?" Piper demanded, suddenly angry.

"Why not?" Phoebe was inexplicably angry, as well.

"Because I'm sick and tired of hosting demon-hunting parties in this manor! Why can't we do it in one of your places? You were all in such a hurry to move out and here you are, coming back!"

"Oh, you like the company and you know it," Paige said vehemently. "What's your real problem, Piper?"

The men stood in a corner, afraid to breathe.

"Her problem is _you_," Prue spat. "You're so whiney, you remind me of Phoebe."

"Hey!" Phoebe and Paige said at the same time.

"At least I wasn't dead for six years," Paige said. "I think we were better off without you!"

Pissed off beyond comprehension, she tackled Paige to the ground. "Well, at least I'm not adopted! My parents actually loved me enough to keep me around."

"And your sisters couldn't wait to get rid of you," Phoebe tore Prue off Paige.

"Oh, let them keep at it," Piper commented. "It's not like mom or dad liked either of them."

"At least they're not a failed cook," Phoebe said.

"Ooh, that's it," Piper yelled, flicking her wrists to blow Phoebe into the wall. Phoebe got back up, a decently sized wound in her chest.

"I hate you, you were a failure as a cook, you were a failure as a big sister, you're a failure as a wife, and you're a failure as a mother!" Phoebe stormed out, Coop following her out quietly.

Leo stepped in, but Henry held him back. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Probably, but with them attacking each other like this, they've lost the Power of Three – or Four – and now they're vulnerable."

"Let's let them get it out of their systems and we can deal with it later. It's too late now, anyway."

"Now look what you did," Paige screamed at Piper, kicking Prue off of her. Piper rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, _half_-sister," Prue said.

"At least I can die right," Paige said. Prue gasped and waved a chair at her.

"Stop!" Leo cried, grabbing Prue to snap her out of it, only for her to shrug him off.

Paige got hit by the chair and got back up. "Grandfather clock," she called, and dropped it on top of Prue, who had the sense to use her magic and deflect it back at Paige. Paige orbed out of the way.

"To hell with all of you," she growled, grabbing Henry and orbing out.

"Piper, think about this," Leo said, grabbing his wife.

"I did," she said angrily. "Get out, Prue!"

Prue huffed and stormed out of the house, which is when Aames grabbed her and teleported her to the Underworld.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Yup, two chapters. I was going to put C 12 up yesterday, but I wanted to give you a present for my birthday (XD I turn 15 today). Hope you enjoyed them. And if you're wondering, the sisters didn't mean anything they said in this argument, it was Andras's magic, Paige and Prue are still on good terms.**_

_**Thank you for reading! Of course, comments, criticism, pointing out mistakes, demanding... all welcome!**_

KateB819


	14. No Matter What

**(If you gave me multiple comments, I'm addressing both at the same time)**

_writerchic16, thanks for the happy birthday wish. No, I do not have all these spells memorized. I could barely remember who some of the smaller demons are! I've been frequenting certain Charmed sites that have the spells. I had problems finding a vanquishing spell for this chapter, that's why it took so long for this one... Apologies... And as for Christy, don't forget she was pretty commanding over even the Triad, so taking charge over these demons should be cake._

_CharmedNeptune47, thanks for your comment and birthday wish. I thought the Star Wars comment would be funny..._

_charmed4eva112, I don't think Gideon would make an appearance (although I liked him a lot, as well), only because he wasn't trying to kill the sisters, so why would Christy need/want him? I'm contemplating bringing back future Chris & Wyatt further in the story._

_piperspeanut, yeah it's harder to convey the scene better because it's the type of comedy that you have to actually see. But I thought it'd be funny to throw Prue into it this time. Thanks for the birthday comment. I put the Dora comment in kinda randomly, but I thought it would be funny. No, I'm not putting Cole and Billie together, it's just they're kinda the outcasts... I think Phoebe will be the only one for Cole, and seeing as how that isn't happening, Cole has accepted that he will be alone._

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, hehehe, Piper walking into the playpen was a funny thought. I'm trying to keep it as funny as possible, otherwise it's just scary, having to face all these demons._

_jiejei1, two chapters is cause for celebration? o.O LOL. Yeah, the Power of Four was something I was trying to figure out when to put in, and I figure since her and Paige got their... stuff together, it was time. Thanks for the happy birthday wish! Yeah, I guess driving is going to come sooner or later, but right now I'm happy taking the subway... Anyway, I'm putting them up as fast as I can, I ran into a wall trying to find a vanquishing spell..._

_ChristineRudd, yeah, I thought about what I would say to some people I really don't like and mixed it in with the sisters' situations. It's cool to pull demons form the first, second seasons in. I skipped over some of the less important ones, or the ones that were no-brainers for the sisters. I loved "Sense & Sensability!"_

_WelshCanuck, yeah I got some inspiration from the Olympics... it was on while I was writing... lol. And Star Wars ran through my head because I saw a commercial for the new movie, hahahaha... Sorry to hear you had a crappy day... I dunno, I don't consider myself that good a writer, I'm doing this mostly so my brain doesn't completely melt during summer vacation. ;-)_

_PrueAndyForever, yeah I let Prue in on losing her senses, lol. And I figure vanquishing Shax gives her some closure. I'm still figuring out some details on the final battle. Yes, some of the argument was repressed anger that was exaggerated with Andras's spell. Yes, the demons have Prue. But they can't really kill her (yet) because they'd still have the Power of Three..._

_littlemissbad, glad you liked the argument... -)_

* * *

"Phoebe, I think you're under a spell, and that's what's clouding your judgment," Coop said tentatively over breakfast the next morning.

"For the first time, I'm seeing things clearly," Phoebe insisted. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"I'm on the side that wants good to win," Coop replied. "Didn't the fight seem a _bit_ out of the ordinary to you?"

Phoebe sat there, puzzled for a few minutes. "It _did_, now that I think of it," she agreed. She shook her head. "I dunno, maybe we should give it a day and see what happens…"

"Let's just hope we have a day," Coop said quietly, noting how the demon attacks seemed to come every second of every day, now.

* * *

"Paige, I may be new at this magic stuff, but…" Henry was trying to get through to Paige, but unfortunately, it was like trying to stand between a truck going 90 mph and a car to stop a collision.

"But what?" she snapped.

"It just seemed so sudden, the fight last night."

Paige crossed her arms, seeming defiant. After a moment, she became less intense. "Hmm."

"I was right, wasn't I?"

Paige just sat there. "I have a new Charge," she said, changing the subject. "I'll deal with this later." She orbed out.

Henry sighed. "Women."

* * *

"Piper," Leo said. She sat there, pretending to not hear him. "Okay, you may still be mad from last night, but you all may be in grave danger!"

"Tell me something I don't know," Piper quipped.

Leo held up the Book of Shadows. The triquetra on the cover had become so that it was no longer an intertwined design, signaling that the Power of Three had shattered with the sisters' bond. Without the Power of Three, they were all vulnerable. "Look."

Piper did so. "And?" she asked, although not with as much anger or attitude.

"Do you really think Prue went home with Phoebe last night, after that fight?" Leo raised his eyebrows. "She probably was alone, and don't forget, Christy has the demons in pairs."

"So?"

"So whoever is paired with Andras probably knew Prue was going home alone and may have grabbed her."

Piper's eyes widened and all her anger and attitude dissipated at last. She leapt to her feet. "Oh my God, what if you're right?"

"That's what I've been saying all night."

* * *

Phoebe was at work when her phone rang. She picked it up. "Phoebe Halliwell, Bay Mirror," she answered automatically.

"Phoebe?" It was Piper. Phoebe fought the urge to yell some obscene words at her and hang up.

"Piper? What's wrong? You sound scared and worried."

"It's Prue," Piper said, both of them choosing not to address the fight last night. "Did she… uhm, did she come home with you?"

"No," Phoebe said, catching on. "Is something wrong?"

Piper sounded like she was about to burst into tears. "I've been calling her cell, and she's not picking up. I think," she paused, and Phoebe could hear Piper trying to compose herself. "I think maybe someone grabbed her after we fought."

Phoebe didn't say anything.

"Pheebs?"

"I'm coming over."

* * *

Piper came to the door, and Phoebe immediately felt bad that they had fought last night. "I-I've been calling Paige, too," Piper stammered as Phoebe walked in to hug Piper, "no response from her, either."

Trying not to break down as well, Phoebe brought Piper to the living room, where they sat down. She closed her eyes and summoned Coop to her side. "I hope I didn't interrupt you," Phoebe said.

"No," Coop said, nervous that two sisters were in the same room but relieved at the same time. Phoebe and Piper filled him in on what they had supposed happened to Prue.

Leo came in, leaving the boys with Victor in the conservatory. "I was afraid this would happen," he said, meaning Prue. He looked around. "Where's Paige?"

Piper exhaled, tears coming to her eyes. "She's no answering her phone, either!"

Cole shimmered in with Billie. He saw the grim looks on everyone's faces, and Billie noticed it, too. "What's wrong?" Billie sat next to the sisters.

"We had a fight," Phoebe said softly, looking down at the floor and giving a quick glance at Piper. "And we used our powers during it."

"Andras," Cole said. After all, he should know – he was the one that originally sent him after the sisters. "Where's Prue and Paige?"

"We don't know," Piper said, her nose turning red.

"Okay, going all Rudolph on us won't do any good," Phoebe said, getting up and hugging her sister.

"Well, we got a rough list of the demons Christy has, what pairs she put them in," Billie said, pulling out a sheet of paper. "Unfortunately, we don't know what order they're attacking in or where Christy is." She showed it to Phoebe. "We've crossed out all the names of the demons we've already vanquished." Phoebe looked at the long list that was still left and felt like gagging.

"It says here that Andras is paired with Aames," Phoebe said. "So, if they haven't changed partners—"

"And seeing as how scared these demons are of Christy—" Cole cut in.

"Then Aames is the one we're looking for."

"Aames is a Darklighter," Piper said, recalling how he had killed Natalie, their temporary Whitelighter.

It hit Piper and Phoebe at the same time.

"Paige!" That was why she hadn't been answering her phone.

Everyone grew silent, trying to figure out to find Paige, since no Whitelighters were present.

"Got it," Phoebe said, jumping up. "Billie, remember how you projected Christy to the attic? Why don't you just do that, but this time bring Paige here?"

"I could try—"

Cole cut in. "Why don't you do that to Christy so we can kill her?"

Recoiling a bit that Cole had put it so bluntly, Billie took a second to remember that there was probably no way of saving her sister, not anymore. "I've tried, she's protected herself from me," Billie said, as if it were obvious. "I'm not sure I can do it with Paige, either. At least with Christy I had the sister-bond thing, I don't have a strong tie to Paige."

"Then how about this," Phoebe said. "I swap powers with you, and then I do it?"

* * *

Billie and Phoebe read the spell form the Book of Shadows:

_What's mine is yours, _

_What's yours is mine _

_Let our powers cross the line _

_I offer up this gift to share _

_Switch our powers through the air_

Phoebe waved her arm at a hat across the room, using the same trigger Prue's power used, and to everyone's relief it moved. "Okay, so the spell worked," Phoebe said. "Now how do I use the projection power?"

Billie instructed her and Phoebe did exactly as she told her. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Focus on Paige, see her, and feel her. Think only about her. Focus on how much you want to see her, to be with her again. Visualize it… you have to want it. You have to want it more than anything."

A few seconds passed by, and Phoebe remained still, concentrating with her eyes closed.

Then Paige materialized, an arrow – unmistakably from a Darklighter's crossbow – sticking out of her back.

"Oh my God," Phoebe yelled, and everyone ran over. Piper ran out of the room and returned in a few moments, holding Wyatt in one hand. He seemed appalled by the sight of an arrow protruding from his aunt's back, but Piper led him over.

"Can you do something for Mommy," Piper asked, trying to hide the shakiness of her voice. "Can you hold Auntie Paige's hand and heal her?"

Billie cautiously pulled the arrow out, and Wyatt held Paige's hand. She was barely breathing, but something in Piper's heart told her Paige was not lost, not yet.

Sure enough, after several tense seconds, the Paige's wound began to heal, and she began to visibly breathe again.

She woke up. "Where am I?" She saw her sisters and swallowed, remembering how they had left it last night.

"We got worried when you weren't answering your cell," Phoebe confessed. "So I swapped powers with Billie to get you back."

"Now we just need to get Prue," Paige said. "I heard jingling when I was at Henry's and I orbed, only to find Prue tied up, and she was trying to warn me about something. I didn't know what it was until a Darklighter shot me."

"Prue's okay?"

"He's using her as bait, setting a trap."

"One we're not falling for," Piper said.

"What?" Paige sat there. "Look, if this is about last night…"

"No," Phoebe said. "This Darklighter is smart, is great at planning, and is even better at setting traps." Her and Piper shared a look. "If we're going to take this guy down, we need a plan of our own." She smiled at Paige. "Unless that's a problem with you?"

Paige smiled back. Honestly, she wanted to talk about last night, but right now, they needed to rescue Prue. "Nope, fine with me."

* * *

"Ready?" Piper asked Phoebe.

"Ready." She closed her eyes, and once again used Billie's projection power. This time, she focused on Prue. It was easier this time, and Prue appeared quicker than Paige.

Prue was tied to a chair, her hands, and legs bound by rope, as well as blindfolded. Aames had done some research.

"Prue, you're safe," Billie said. Prue realized that Aames had a trap and began shaking her head wildly.

"No! It's a trap."

"Don't worry," Phoebe said. She knelt next to Prue, while everyone else took their positions, hiding.

Aames came into the attic, smug and confident as ever. "Where are your sisters?" he demanded, aiming a crossbow at Phoebe.

Billie dropped down behind Aames, using Phoebe's levitation power. She kicked Aames in the face, and he fell down, dropping his weapon.

"Crystals," Paige called, encircling him in a circle and trapping him.

He reached out and drew his crossbow closer to him. Seeing this, Piper froze him. "Hurry," she said to Phoebe, who had been there so Aames wouldn't get suspicious when he'd first appeared.

She ran to her sisters' side, and Cole handed them the Book of Shadows, which he had been protecting in case that was what Aames had actually been after. Leo, Coop, and Henry, who Paige had orbed over to show she was okay, ran to Prue to untie her so she could use her powers if their plan didn't work. Prue waved Aames's crossbow away from him as he began fighting the freeze.

Phoebe, Paige, and Piper read the spell aloud:

_Time for amends and a victim's revenge,_

_Cloning power turned sour,_

_Power to change turned to strange,_

_I'm rejectin' your deflection_

Aames howled in agony, his body distorting and bursting into flames. His head reeled back as he blew up, another plan foiled by the sisters.

"Wait," Prue said, as the others breathed a sigh of relief. "Andras was with him, and he's probably not too far behind…"

As if on cue, Andras teleported in. "I shoulda known he couldn't be counted on," he sneered at the scorch mark where Aames had been standing. He went to shoot anger into the sisters again, but Billie shrank it into nothing with Phoebe's empathy power. Cole immediately threw an energy ball at him, and Andras was vanquished once more.

The room was silent as the four sisters remembered the fight they had last night.

"Glad that's over," Paige said.

"The Book's cover doesn't say it is," Leo said, holding up the book. "Which means…"

"We have to kiss and make up," Piper finished.

Understanding what Piper meant, Leo, Coop, and Henry left, taking Wyatt with them.

"Where do we start?" Prue asked. An awkward silence followed.

Paige spoke first. "Prue, I'm sorry about what I said. Your sisters missed you so much after you died. We weren't better off without you. I didn't realize how much they – _we_ – need you. I shouldn't have said that."

"Well," Prue said, "speaking of things we shouldn't have said… I was wrong about saying your parents didn't love you enough to keep you. It wasn't their fault, and it definitely wasn't your fault you had to be given up. I know what a hard decision that must have been for them, and I am so happy we got a chance to meet you. Even if you're our half-sister, I know we all think of you as more than that… a _lot_ more." Prue looked at Phoebe. "And I'm sorry I called you whiney, I think you're the toughest out of all of us here."

"Thanks," she said to Prue. "That means so much, coming from you." She looked at Piper, and her heart felt heavy. "I am so sorry about those things I said to you. You are an amazing cook… just look at how much I eat every meal that you cook!" Piper laughed. "You are a great older sister. You're so responsible and understanding…" Paige coughed, making Piper laugh again. "…and I am so happy that I was blessed to get you as a sister." Phoebe choked back tears. "You are a wonderful wife, I hope Coop and I are as happy as you and Leo are when we've been married that long. And you're a great mother! You know I think you are!"

Piper walked over to hug Phoebe, who was now slightly crying. Paige and Prue watched as the two sisters who had been together the longest were embracing each other.

"I love you, kiddo," Piper whispered into Phoebe's ear.

"Take that, Christy," Paige said, wiping tears from her eyes and gave a soft chuckle. Prue smiled.

"We're in this together," Prue said. "No matter what."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the triquetra re-form on the cover of the Book of Shadows.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Wow, sorry this one took two days. I had problems finding the vanquishing spell for Aames, and seeing as how I don't have the DVDs, it took some time Googling to find it.**_

_**Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading. Next on line should be the Four Horsemen and Captain Black Jack Cutting... the next two chapters aren't as exciting but the two chapters after that should be better... I hope...  
**_

_**Thanks for reading! Comments, criticism, questions, demands, you name it -- no hesitations!**_

KateB819


	15. Fulfilling a Debt

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, yeah it was two days... XD _

_CharmedNeptune47, thanks for your comment. Sorry it took two days, I decided to put up two chapters and had some issues with the rhyming._

_charmed4eva112, yes they made up... they can't be mad at each forever, can they? -P Prue takes them on pretty well, in my opinion. The Captain was never my favorite episode either, but I figure I mind as well include him. he barely made the cut._

_jiejei1, that spell was sooooo funny, with Phoebe's "I'm rejectin' your deflection" XD I try to write the sisterly moments as best I can... kinda hard coz I don't have any sisters -D_

_ChristineRudd, yeah all the info is hard to find, but that's the magic of Google... ;-) Yeah, the next chapter was a headache to write... But I love Charmed, so I keep telling myself it's worth it. XD_

_littlemissbad, that episode was so funny, "I'm rejectin' your deflection," one of my favorite spells... No apocalypse, they already stopped it, so I had to come up with another way to vanquish them. _

_writerchic16, OMG that site was so helpful for the next chapter! It's the best site I've seen so far while writing this story! Thanks._

_piperspeanut, o.O I made you cry? Wow, thanks I guess... It's hard for me to figure out an ending for Cole, but I think I have one in mind that suits him. The sisters, as far as I'm concerned, will forgive each other for almost anything short of killing someone in cold blood. And I figure Wyatt needs a larger part in the story, so why not have him heal Paige? -)_

_Brittanyfayeee, high five I like big CHARMED fans! I can't say I have the DVDs, or that I've seen the show 38 times in the last year (although I'm sure it's close -P), but it's definitely fun writing a Charmed story. Glad you like it. Can't believe you read it all in one day, though. o.O_

* * *

Cole shimmered in the next day, scaring Piper. "Sorry," he apologized.

"What's up?"

He sat down, watching her do the dishes. "Billie found out this morning someone in the Underworld squealed," he said, sighing sadly. "And whoever it was told Christy we got the list."

Piper almost dropped the plate she was washing. "Oh, no!"

"Yeah, so she re-shuffled the pairs, and now we're back at square one."

Leo came in. "Not quite," he said, giving Piper a peck on the cheek. "At least we know _who_ the demons are."

Cole scowled at Leo's optimism.

"Yeah, I know," Piper said, picking up on it. "Isn't he just a damn ball of sunshine?" She finished the last plate. "Anyway, I made a list of potion ingredients we need, according to the list."

"And?" Leo sat down next to Cole.

"I gave it to Prue before they left, so today she's off buying them. I suggested to Paige maybe she should go with her, since I'm sure the shops have changed since the last time she went."

"Good idea," Leo said. "Besides, Phoebe and you have work, and Billie and Cole are probably exhausted."

"I dunno," Cole said, "she seems to be enjoying herself."

"Well, while she's off enjoying herself," Piper said, drying her hands, "I'm going to go work."

She walked into the living room and grabbed her purse and car keys, which is when War, Famine, Strife, and Death came in and grabbed her, leaving with Piper.

"Oh, no," Leo said, quickly getting his cell phone to dial her sisters.

* * *

"Ew, toadstool," Paige read off the list. "What's so valuable about that? Don't the other animals get jealous?" She was feeling punny today, and besides, potion ingredient shopping was incredibly monotonous.

"What, like doesn't the cat go, "Why isn't _my_ stool needed by witches?" Prue smiled at her sister, figuring a couple laughs needed to be had to break the dullness of shopping. Toadstool was not, in fact, the stool of a toad.

"Exactly. What is so special about toad stool that we have to buy it?"

"So you're saying we should raise a toad… so we can get toadstool faster and easier." Prue raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, so maybe I haven't thought my argument through completely," Paige rolled her eye, laughing, "but imagine if you're a demon and you need to get a large supply of witch stool."

Prue clamped a hand over Paige's mouth. "Okay, this conversation is ending right now."

Prue's phone rang, and it was Leo. "Hello," she picked up.

Leo's voice was shaky. "Prue," he said. "Thank God. The Four Horsemen just came and took Piper and left with her, and now I'm not sure what to do…"

"Whoa, slow down," Prue said, her good mood shattering. "The Four Horsemen, as in the Apocalypse? I thought we took care of that, already."

"Well, Christy is bringing back almost every evil being you can think of," Leo said. "Including them," he sounded panicked and in a frenzy.

Cole came on, and Prue guessed Leo was trying to compose himself. "So, no Apocalypse," Cole clarified. "Look, why don't you and Paige come home. We can get Wyatt to try and orb to Piper, and if all else fails we'll just have one of you guys swap powers with Billie again."

"No good, the latter that is," Prue said. "Our powers don't work on them, remember? If we're going to find them, we'll need Wyatt to get them, but we're going to need back-up."

"Fine," Cole said. "I'll get Phoebe, tell Billie to scry, and you guys swing by Victor's to pick up Wyatt."

"Fine, Prue said, hanging up.

* * *

Everyone was gathered in the attic, once again. "How come this feels so familiar?" Prue remarked.

Leo went to Wyatt. "Hey, buddy," he said. "Can you do me a favor and see if you can sense Mommy?"

Wyatt looked thoughtful for a second and then nodded.

"Okay, when we ask you to, can you bring us to her?"

Another nod.

"So what's the plan, again?" Paige asked to no one in particular.

"Ooh, you mean you want a plan?" Prue grinned at Paige. "Wyatt orbs us to Piper, since scrying didn't work. Hopefully, it's just the Four Horsemen. We grab Piper and get her back out, distracting them if necessary."

"Remind me why we're not vanquishing them?"

"Because only the Source can vanquish them," Phoebe replied. "And the only reason he did it last time was because they failed to bring about the Apocalypse."

"Once we have Piper out of there," Billie continued, "I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay," Paige said, grabbing Wyatt's hand. Prue grabbed Wyatt's other hand, Phoebe grabbed Prue's other hand, and Cole grabbed Paige's remaining hand, which Paige reluctantly accepted.

Leo knelt in front of Wyatt. "Go ahead now, take them to see Mommy."

Wyatt orbed them, and there Piper was, tied to a chair.

"Piper," Paige called, and Piper orbed over. Paige orbed everyone back out.

"They're coming," Paige announced. Cole ran to untie Piper, while the men left the room.

"Billie left already," Cole said, getting Piper free.

The Four Horsemen appeared, not looking too happy.

"Okay, you guys are pretty unoriginal," Paige said, as everyone went to their hiding spots. "There are better things you could've done with a chair, and there wasn't even a trap!"

Strife stepped forward. "If you're so confident in our inabilities," he sneered, "then why are you all hiding?"

Paige just smiled.

* * *

Billie walked into a chamber after Cole had shimmered her into a connecting tunnel. This is where she and Cole had found the guy that had given them the list. Christy must have known, because there wasn't many evil beings left; they had upped and moved. She confronted the only man, and it was an old man. He looked like he hadn't seen a woman in years.

"Ma'am," Captain Black Jack Cutting greeted, obviously ogling her.

_Well, this glamour is working, after all_. She had used a spell to change her guise into that of Christy. "Where is the Source," she demanded, hoping she didn't sound as scared as she felt. "I need to speak with him."

The Captain visibly gulped and pointed to a cavern not too far away. Billie walked down the hallway and into the cavern.

"What now, witch," the Source's voice boomed.

Billie swallowed hard. "How dare you speak to me that way," she said, trying to cover up for it. "I am your leader."

"Sorry, my leader." Billie failed to miss the sarcasm in his voice.

"You are forgiven. Now," she said, getting down to business. The longer she took, the more danger the sisters were in. "I need you to vanquish the Four Horsemen."

"Why?" he sounded merely curious. "I thought—"

"Do I look like I care what you think?" _Hey, this is fun,_ she thought. "They've failed in a simple task I had them do, and now they have become a liability. _**So vanquish them**_."

The Source hesitated for a moment.

"You dare defy me? Have you forgotten who you are dealing with?" Billie never knew her voice could sound so commanding.

The Source raised his arms, and energy shot out of them, into the ceiling of the cavern. After several moments, the Source lowered his arms. "It is done."

Billie turned and left the room and walked into the tunnel, praying it had worked out.

* * *

Phoebe flinched a bit as the Four Horsemen fell into a fiery pit that led to a hellish abyss. Their plan had worked.

"What happened?" Piper asked, blinking in confusion. One moment she had been tied to a chair, then Wyatt and her sisters came to rescue her, and the next the Four Horsemen are sucked into a hole.

"We used Wyatt to get you," Prue said.

"Then Billie, disguised as Christy, had the Source kill them," Paige said. "Speaking of, I'm gonna go and get her." She orbed away, and everyone went downstairs. Phoebe said her goodbyes to her sisters and was about to go back to work when Paige orbed back in, sweating bullets. "Uhm," was all she said.

"What? What _now_?" Piper demanded.

She pointed upstairs. "I just took Billie upstairs," she said nervously. "But, uh… she… ran into some problems…"

"What kind of problems?" Cole asked.

"Apparently they figured her out. The Four Horsemen had already been vanquished, thank God, but the Source must have realized something because he left… and Captain Black Jack Cutting attacked her, doing to her what he did to me."

"Oh, no," Phoebe cried.

"What?" Prue asked.

"The last time we faced this guy," Piper explained, "he took a swipe at Paige and she turned into an old lady. He drains the youth from others."

"Oh," Prue said, trying to understand. "_Oh_…" She finally understood. "Well, how did you kill him last time?"

"That's the thing – we didn't." Phoebe sighed and put her purse back down. "His first mate killed him."

"Yeah, but that was when he was under the curse," Paige pointed out. For Prue's benefit, she clarified, "He tricked a witch into falling in love with her so he could get eternal life."

"Oh." She sighed. "Then what do we do, now?"

"I got it," Leo said. "Why don't we just bring the first mate back?" Piper kissed Leo. "You are so smart."

"How do we do _that_?" Prue asked.

Phoebe, Paige, and Piper all got the same idea at the same time.

* * *

_Spirits of air, sand, and sea _

_Converge to set the Angel free _

_In the wind, I send this rhyme _

_Bring death before me before my time_

"Remind me why we're doing this, again," Prue said.

"Just play along," Phoebe said.

The Angel of Death appeared in front of them. "Hello," he greeted.

"We need to ask you a favor," Piper began.

"What, warning you about your husband and giving you back your sister isn't enough?" he asked wryly.

Phoebe felt like smacking him, if he wasn't incorporeal. "Look, mister," she said, heating up, "if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have to deal with all these demons in the first place!"

The Angel of Death seemed to agree, because he had a temporary look of shame on his face.

"Hey, there's a question! How _did_ all this happen?" Paige raised her eyebrow.

Death sighed. "I misplaced Christy over a month ago. I was supposed to move her from Heaven to Hell – what you know it to be, but halfway through the transition her soul escaped, and she was able to steal energy in the Wasteland, like Cole, and come back."

"So now she's more powerful than ever," Phoebe said. "Well, isn't this great."

"Anyway, after that I spent my time trying to find her, get her, but by that time it was too late, and all these witches' souls were released." He looked at Prue. "Including yours." He sighed again. "I apologize for the mess I have caused. Now, what is this favor?"

Phoebe shrugged. "It's not huge… just temporary bring back the first mate of Captain Black Jack Cutting."

"Why?"

"Because it's the only way to vanquish him," Prue finally realized.

"And," Piper added, "we wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for your mistake."

"So really," Paige continued, "we figure you _owe_ us…"

The four sisters stood still, staring at Death. "Fine," he eventually said. "Under one condition."

"Name it," Piper said.

"If I do this, my debt to you is paid in full."

Phoebe didn't need to look at her sisters to know they were on the same wavelength. "Done."

* * *

It was a half an hour later, and the Angel of Death was waiting by anxiously as the sisters spoke to the first mate in the living room.

"You want me to do what?" The man blinked at the sisters.

"We need you to kill him, again," Paige said.

"What, once wasn't enough?" He sighed. "What's in it for me? I'm already moving on."

Phoebe shrugged. "I mean, there is always the possibility that the Angel of Death may _accidentally_ drop you off in Hell, instead of Heaven."

This made the first mate think things over.

"Okay," Prue said, pushing Phoebe into the kitchen, "you think it over." She shoved Phoebe into the kitchen. "Why did you tell him that, for? We can't—"

"_He_ doesn't know that," Phoebe said. "And Billie is running out of time," she added softly.

Prue stopped. It seemed wrong to be lying to this man, but she ignored her instincts. Nothing would get done if she second-guessed all of her sisters' actions, and they seemed to know what they were doing. "Fine."

They returned to the living room.

"Take me to him," Reznor, the first mate, said.

* * *

"Took you long enough," Captain Black Jack Cutting chuckled when Paige, Prue, Phoebe, and Piper orbed in. "Where's the nice blonde girl?"

"What do you think Christy will say when she finds out you tried to kill her sister?" Phoebe asked.

"She doesn't need to find out," he reasoned, "not if we go about this the way I want it to."

"And what would that be?" Paige asked. "And if you're afraid of Christy, why did you attack Billie in the first place?"

"I didn't know it was her," he claimed. "I thought it was one of _you_… so my plan required some minor tweaks."

"Which is…?"

"My plan," he said, scowling at Paige's directness, "is to obtain eternal youth."

"Wow, didn't see that one coming," Piper retorted.

"Be silent, witch!" He glared at Piper. "Last time, you three couldn't provide it. But now, with the Power of Four…"

"Fine," Phoebe said, surprising Prue once again with her spontaneity. "Let us go back home so we can mix a potion to go with a spell."

He looked suspicious, but said, "Okay."

Paige orbed them back out.

"Okay, now I'm _really_ confused," Prue confessed.

Piper realized Prue was not on the same wavelength as the other three sisters. "There's no way he was just going to let Reznor stab him," Piper explained. "So we needed an in."

"So all we do is create a stun potion to paralyze him, since our powers may not work too well on him," Paige continued.

"And then we have Cole shimmer Reznor in, and there we go!"

Paige and Piper went to mix the most powerful stun potion they could create, and Phoebe led Prue to the dining room, and began scribbling on a sheet of paper. "How does this sound? Here goes:

_Allow these words to turn back time_

_And in them, may this man find_

_In the power of we sisters four_

_The ability to turn young once more_

"Fine," Prue said. "But why do we need a spell?"

"This guy obviously doesn't trust us," Phoebe said. "He'll definitely want to see something."

Prue sighed and held her head in her hands. "I can't get the hang of this," she sighed, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears. "I feel like I'm in a different world than you three."

"Prue," Phoebe said sympathetically, hugging her oldest sister. "Prue, I know. I understand how hard this must be, believe me."

"Doubt it," Prue murmured.

"Uh, hello? Empath speaking," Phoebe said, forcing a smile onto Prue's lips.

"It's just that Piper, Paige, and I have been doing this for six years. It's definitely going to take some time to get back into demon-killing groove."

"Even if I do, you three are, like, sharing a brain. You all understand what the others are thinking without saying a thing!"

"Yeah, I know, but it's not all it's hyped up to be," Phoebe said. "We had the same bond, too, remember? It's just going to take some time to get it back. Sisterly bonding, unfortunately, is not magic." Prue sighed, and Phoebe gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Family Day is tomorrow, and Piper said her and Leo came up with a great idea."

"Yeah, hopefully it doesn't have anything to do with demon hunting," Prue said.

"Potion is ready," Paige called from the kitchen, ending their conversation.

* * *

"Back so soon?" Captain Black Jack Cutting scoffed at the sisters' entrance.

"Do you want your damn youth, or not?" Paige snapped.

"Wait," he said, holding up a hand. "I want to see the spell, first."

Phoebe handed it to him, and he read it over silently. "Okay," he said, handing it back to her.

"Here's the potion," Piper said, pulling it out of her pocket and giving it to him.

"Only one?"

"Why, you got more undead pirate buddies?" Prue asked.

He frowned at her.

"Drink it," Phoebe said, "and we'll read the spell."

"Read the spell and I'll drink it."

"The spell won't work unless you drink it first."

He opened the vial and drank it. "Read the spell," he growled. Then he jerked, gasping. "What the hell did you… what…" he began panting, and fell down slowly, holding, trying to fight it.

"Stun potion," Piper said, grinning at him.

Phoebe closed her eyes and called Coop to her. This was Cole's signal that the sisters were ready for him to bring Reznor. Cole shimmered in with the first mate, and handed him a knife. "It's all you," Cole said to him.

Reznor walked over, and in one fluid motion, stabbed the Captain once again. "There, I did my part," he said, stepping away. The Captain once again grew old and died.

"Anchors away," Cole said, shimmering Reznor back up, and the sisters orbed back up with Coop.

* * *

Billie was fine, but she went to take a nap after the whole ordeal that day.

Death put Reznor's soul back. "My debt has been paid," he said to the sisters.

"Thank you," Piper said.

Death began to leave, then thought of something else to say. "No, thank _you_. This is my mess you're cleaning up. I apologize." He left without another word.

"You know, considering he's the Angel of Death and everything," Prue said, "he's a decent enough guy."

"Ooh," Phoebe teased. "Death and Prue, sitting in a tree…"

Prue swatted her sister, and Phoebe burst out in giggles.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" Piper continued, laughing as Prue went to chase her.

Paige orbed in front of Prue.

"First comes love, then comes marriage…" She orbed away as Prue went to hit her, too.

"You guys, three against one isn't fair!" She was laughing herself.

"Well, call your buddy Death and it'll be more even," Phoebe joked, and Prue went after Phoebe, again.

And for almost the first time since Prue had come back, she began to feel like she belonged with her sisters.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Another chapter right behind this one. I had fun with the toadstool conversation, kinda random but something I thought might give you a laugh. Sorry it took a couple days, I finished two chapters and needed some time to find some of the spells. And that one spell I made up wouldn't come out right (I finally figured it out at 2AM)...**_

_**Thanks for reading! Comments, questions, demands, responses to my responses, criticism, pointing out mistakes, and anything else is welcome.**_

KateB819


	16. Scavenger Hunt

It was Saturday, and Piper insisted on doing Family Day, in spite of the fact that there was a whole army of evil after them. She even forced Billie and Cole to stop their search for information and join the fun

"The info will still be there tomorrow," Piper had said.

So here everyone was: Piper and Leo, Chris and Wyatt, Phoebe and Coop, Cole and Billie, Victor and Prue, and Paige and Henry.

"Leo and I have come up with an idea," Piper announced after they had all had lunch together. "Wyatt, Cole, and Paige all have the power to go from one place to another. Coop, Phoebe, Billie, Victor, Prue, and Henry do not," Leo began. "Chris can't really count because he may not completely understand what you want, and that would be a slight disadvantage."

"So we'll divide up into teams," Piper said.

"Uh, to do _what_ exactly?" Paige asked.

"Scavenger hunt," Piper announced. "The last few days, when we've had the time, Leo and I used Wyatt to scatter notes with hints everywhere, three copies at each location. Now you guys have to go find them."

"What about Coop," Prue inquired.

"He needs a person he loves to aim for," Phoebe explained.

"Okay," Leo said, pulling out a sheet of paper. "Wyatt gets Billie and Coop. Cole gets Prue and Phoebe. Paige gets Victor and Henry."

"We are so screwed," Billie whined.

"Wow, you're so optimistic," Coop teased.

"Now, here is the first clue," Piper said, ignoring Billie. She had three notes in a hat, one to each group, and had each group take one out. "Wyatt's group, set up here in the living room. Cole's group, set up in the kitchen. Paige's group, set up in the conservatory." She smiled. "Begin!"

The groups split off.

"Wow, gotta hand it to Piper," Cole said, unfolding the note.

"_From here you view all_

_Since I am so very tall_

_I am something high and old_

_A Gate the lovely color of Gold…_"

"The Golden Gate Bridge," Phoebe realized.

"Uh, kinda vague," Prue said.

"No, there's a spot on top where we always go."

"Fine," Cole said, grabbing Phoebe's hand and reluctantly taking Prue's hand. He shimmered them up, and Paige was already orbing out. She stuck her tongue out. "Here it is," he said, seeing two rocks on top of two of slips of paper. He read out the next clue:

"_Don't worry about being cool,_

_You can always go back to school_

_I am where Paige once worked,_

_Where the Triad used to lurk_"

"Magic school," Phoebe knew. "I think it's still open to evil," she said to Cole. Cole took their hands once again and shimmered.

* * *

"_Never hesitate to ask advice_

_Because she is always extremely nice_

_Look on top the office desk_

_Amidst the big, horrible, cluttered mess_"

"Oh," Paige said from her old office at Magic School, "Phoebe's office!"

"Off we go, then," Henry said. Paige held Henry and Victor's hands and orbed them to her office at the Bay Mirror.

Henry and Victor went up to her desk and sifted through the chaos.

"Well, this is a bit unfair," Paige said. "We're cleaning up the mess for the other two groups!"

"Found it," Henry said, pulling out a small slip of paper. Victor read it out loud:

"_You talked here to Prue_

_And she would help you_

_To sell an antique_

_Within a week_"

Paige and Henry had no idea what the solution was.

Victor realized it almost instantly. "The Auction House," he said. "Buckland's Auction House!"

"_Where_ in the auction house?"

"Probably right outside her old office, I doubt we're going to go straight in to someone's office."

Paige orbed them.

* * *

Wyatt, Billie, and Coop would have been the farthest behind. After all, how would they know Buckland? Or the top of the Golden Gate Bridge? _Piper must have known,_ Billie guessed. _She would have known how easy it was for us_.

All Billie had to do, after all, was project them to the next clue. It wasn't as hard as projecting them to a person or a person to them – which Piper must have known, because sticking her with Wyatt and Coop mind as well have been sticking her with two sacks of potatoes. It wasn't much fun, but she loved taking care of Wyatt, and she could tell Coop was having fun playing with the sweet toddler, as well.

She read the clue at a water cooler in Buckland's. (They had projected themselves into a bathroom to avoid exposure)

"_I am a place where a sister dwells_

_The youngest of the Halliwells_"

"Paige's place," Coop said.

Billie read the note again. "No, it says _**Halliwell**_. It's your place," she laughed. She grabbed Wyatt's left hand and Coop grabbed his right. Orbing was definitely faster and easier than projecting.

* * *

Cole, Prue, and Phoebe were catching up to Paige, Henry, and Victor. When they arrived at Phoebe's condo, Paige had just found the next clue and was about to orb out. "Eat our dust," Paige taunted.

Phoebe found to slips of paper on the kitchen table. Obviously, Piper and Leo had been there after Prue, Phoebe, and Coop left in the morning. She read it out loud:

"_Want to eat out tonight,_

_Go ahead and grab a bite_

_I am where Piper used to cook_

_You'll know exactly where to look_"

Prue found the solution almost as soon as Phoebe finished reading it. "Quake?"

"You want me to shimmer you to a bunch of pacifists?" Cole was confused.

"No, the restaurant!" Phoebe laughed.

"Oh," Cole said, shimmering them.

* * *

Paige, Victor, and Henry were ahead of Phoebe, Cole, and Prue.

"We're in first," Paige said, orbing into Quake. Then they saw Billie's group leave, projecting them to the next place. "Cheater!" Paige yelled.

"Nuh uh," Billie said, as they disappeared.

Paige picked up the note, which was in the bathroom in a stall marked "Out of Order." She walked out of the stall and read it:  
"_If you have good stamina,_

_Go ahead and get a camera_

_Wherever was Prue last at_

_Find me somewhere there, stat!_"

"Who the hell wrote these rhymes?" Paige asked. "And where did Prue work at last?"

"415 magazine," Victor answered.

"Holy Polaroid camera, Batman," Henry said, making Paige laugh. "I didn't know she worked there!"

"Me neither," Paige said, orbing.

* * *

Billie read out the next clue.

"_Head on over to the place_

_Where there is always the most space_

_And music is usually being played_

_To help the Halliwell sisters get paid_"

"Ooh, I know this one," she said, happy there was another clue she knew. "P3!"

"Okay, Wyatt, buddy," Coop said. "Take us to your Mommy's club."

* * *

Phoebe, Prue, and Cole arrived at P3 and found the next clue.

"_You are almost at the end_

_So find where we lost a friend_

_Someone close to the Halliwells_

_Though he didn't take our secret well_"

This one was harder than the others. Phoebe thought. _Jason?_ But he wasn't a 'friend.'

"What about Darryl," Prue guessed.

"The police precinct, of course!" Cole shimmered them to an abandoned alley next to it, and they found the last slip stuck in the bricks.

"_Return home now, at last_

_Since you have now gone past_

_Every single one of our clues_

_And pray that you didn't lose_"

"So much for that," Phoebe said, and Cole shimmered them home.

* * *

All of them arrived at the same time.

"H-how is this possible?" Phoebe asked. "I thought we'd lost."

"And I thought we won," Billie said, surprised she had arrived the same time Paige and Cole's group did. "We saw Paige orb in as we were leaving!"

Piper and Leo grinned at the confused participants. "Tell them, Piper," Leo said.

"I enchanted the original slips," she revealed. "So that you would all come back at the same time."

"Why?" Paige demanded. "What was the point?"

"To have fun," Leo said. "And that way we could all learn a little something. Like Prue could learn about Magic School and the Golden Gate Bridge… and Paige could learn about Quake and 415 magazine."

"I figure even though you two are getting along, now," Piper reasoned, "you both still somewhat believe you know more than the other, but that's not true. Prue may know more about our pre-witched lives, but Paige knows more about the magical world."

"And Piper and I thought this would be a fun way to show you all that there are always going to be things you don't know," Leo explained.

Prue stood there thoughtfully. Paige was silent as well. They seemed to slowly comprehend what it was Piper and Leo were trying to instill in them.

"I get what you're saying," Prue said slowly.

"Me, too," Paige said. "One question?"

"Go ahead," Piper said.

"Do we get a prize?"

* * *

**  
Author's Note:**

**_Okay, this chapter is mostly filler. It's supposed to be a bit of a reprieve for the sisters, seeing as how after this all they do is fight evil, again._**

**_Don't be surprised if it takes a few days for the next couple ones to show up. The next ones are gonna be a headache to write, but I'll get there. (Hint: Fairy tales do come true!)_**

**_Thanks for reading! Comments, questions, demands, responses to my responses, criticism, pointing out mistakes, and anything else is welcome..._**

KateB819


	17. Little Pigs, Little Pigs, Let Me In

_**If you submitted more than one review, I will address them all at the same time.**_

_charmed4eva112, glad you liked both chapters. Here's two more for your reading pleasure. :)_

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, as far as I know Death doesn't have a name... XD Prue and Death would make a very funny couple, don't you think? lol. Yeah, Piper rigged the game. I thought it'd be a cool idea..._

_writerchic16, yeah I know it's weird writing all these major vanquishes, but they've vanquished them at least once in the past, so they should have an idea how to go about it... it's just figuring out which one is attacking, is all. I agree, when I writer earlier in the day it's harder to focus. 11-3 is the perfect time to write! :P The site is amazing, thanks a bunch.  
_

_PrueAndyForever, a late review is better than no review at all! :D Okay, I was planning to use this chapter to explain why he got the darklighter powers again... although now that I checked, I did accidentally type Aames was a darklighter. My bad. But yeah, it was intentional... sorta (if this is making any sense to you, lol) Yup, Prue is finally settling in a bit. Now that her and Paige got their sht together (:P) demon-vanquishing will be less of a headache, I hope. Glad I could make you chuckle! I tried to solve some of Prue/Paige's problems with each other (the underlying issues) in this chapter... I figure it's a good a time as any.  
_

_CharmedNeptune47, thanks! The rhymes were hard to write, but fun nonetheless... _

_ChristineRudd, hehehe, glad I could give you some warm fuzzies! B)_

_piperspeanut, happy you liked the toadstool conversation. And the rhymes were fun to write (although hard, but I digress), glad you had fun reading them!_

_jiejei1, yeah it was a lot, now that I look at it. But I couldn't find a place to break it up, so I left it as a longer chapter... Glad I made your day! Your comment brightened up my day, as well. Yes, I thought up those rhymes. They were Hell to write, but fun anyway._

_WelshCanuck, don't worry, I think this might be the last week I can post as regularly as I do, anyway... School's starting back up... Glad you liked the scavenger hunt!_

* * *

"Damn witches!" Christy fumed.

"May I remind you," a voice from the darkness echoed, "that you are a witch, as well? You have yet to kill a witch yourself."

"I know," she growled. "I don't need to be reminded!" She turned around the face the voice.

It was the Triad. Not corporeal yet, but alive, once again. Christy would have brought back more demons to send after the Charmed ones, but she channeled most of her energy in bringing back the only ones she trusted. She even trusted Asmodeus. _He did it for my own good_, she truly believed. _My parents are dead because that's the way it must be._

"Why did you kill that Darklighter?" Asmodeus demanded, fearing Christy was playing both sides of the field.

Christy rolled her eyes. "Why should I have to answer to you? Don't forget; I brought you back."

"Because you need our help," Candor reminded.

Christy sighed. She had chanted _Ixo Mende Layto Sempar_ until a darklighter appeared. Then she knocked him unconscious. "I needed a darklighter's powers," she told them.

"Why?" Baliel demanded.

"For a warlock named Aames," she answered. "Obviously, sending warlocks is useless, as Jeremy's speedy demise proves. So I figure, since he steals powers, why not give him a darklighter? And, this would have worked too, except the sisters got to Paige."

"You should run these plans by us from now on," Asmodeus responded. "It was careless and foolish to—"

"I don't need to hear it," she scoffed. "I know _exactly_ what I am doing. All you have to do is show up and kill the Charmed Ones when I say so."

"You dare speak to us in that tone?" Candor glared.

"Yes, would you like for me to continue?" she asked, ignoring glares from all three of them. "Just be patient, I can handle this on my own."

"Yes, if you say so," Baliel relented. "Just remember your wonderful scheming did not turn out so well the last time."

* * *

Family Day had been fun, and they all returned home to rest up, since there were no pressing demonic threats at the moment. Prue was at Phoebe's condo.

"Is it getting easier?" Phoebe asked Prue.

"Yes," she answered. "I mean, I still kind of feel like I don't quite fit in…"

"Is it Paige, or…?"

"No, no, her and I are on good terms, now. It's just like I'm a feather floating on a breeze."

"I know," Phoebe said understandingly, "but it'll get easier. Paige felt left out in the beginning, too. Now, she fits in just fine!"

"I hope it doesn't take me six years!" Prue laughed.

Phoebe laughed too. "I hope not. If you're still here in six years, I'm kicking you out."

* * *

"I think today was a success," Leo said, kissing Piper as they organized the groceries for tomorrow.

"Yeah, but I feel kind of bad that it couldn't be, you know, just us. The girls, hanging out."

Leo looked at the clock, which read three o'clock. "The day's not over yet, you know," he pointed out. "You can still do something."

Piper grabbed her cell phone. "I knew I picked you for a reason," she laughed. She dialed Paige. "Paige? Hi, it's Piper. Are you free the rest of the afternoon? I figure we go to Phoebe's and watch a movie, or something…" She paused. "Great! Yeah, _Grindhouse _sounds great. Call Phoebe for me? See ya." She hung up. "I'm going to Phoebe's," she said, kissing Leo. "Thanks for the idea. If anything happens—"

"We'll be fine… Billie's upstairs, brainstorming for some new ideas."

Piper left.

* * *

"I need a new idea," Christy fumed. She grabbed the book where Billie had written everything she knew about the sisters. "What good is this insipid piece of—" she threw it on the ground and yelled in frustration.

The book flipped open to a page that caught her eye.

"_A person that has been entrusted with the original artifacts of fairytales. This person is called the Keeper of the Fairy Tales, and protects these valuable objects. This is because should somebody use fairy tales for an evil purpose, this would rewrite them, corrupting them for every future generation to come._"

A smile crept to Christy's lips.

* * *

The Keeper of Fairy Tales heard a noise in the secret fortress. "Who's there?" he demanded. Ever since the Charmed Ones had saved them four years ago, it had been quiet… until now. He stepped in warily, and saw a pretty blonde woman standing there, examining the artifacts.

_Witch_, he sensed. What was a witch doing here?

"Are you the Keeper?" she asked.

"Who's asking?" He slowly stepped away from her.

"I am," she said. "Don't be afraid, I'm just a witch."

"And what would a witch be doing here?" he inquired.

Realizing he was not going to do what she wanted willingly, she recited the spell she had memorized from Billie' notes, bringing with her a mirror:

_Freedoms lost must be unwitting, _

_into the glass to do my bidding _

The Keeper was sucked into it. "Not again," he wailed from her hand mirror.

"Shut up," she commanded, and he did.

She grinned evilly. This was going to be fun.

* * *

"Coop left to give us privacy," Phoebe told Piper when she came in. Paige was already there, and the DVD was in the machine, ready to be played.

Paige looked around suddenly. "No, not now!"

"What?" Prue asked.

She looked up, annoyed. "Stupid jingling," she groaned. She looked at her sisters sadly. "Sorry, guys…"

"It's okay," Piper said, slightly irked. "You go do your thing."

Paige orbed out.

Phoebe started the DVD, when suddenly she felt like she shrunk, as if she was three feet tall. She looked around. When did the table become so tall?

She looked at her sisters and screamed, and they did, as well.

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe were transformed into pigs. They were all about three feet tall, pink, and fat. Their legs and arms were now stubby and they had snouts.

Prue snorted. "What the hell?"

Piper held up her hands, revealing four fingers, the two fingers being larger than the other two. "Oh no, I'm a prepubescent bacon!"

Then someone knocked on the door.

"Uh, who is it?" Phoebe asked, trying to suppress a squeal.

"Little pig, little pig let me in," Cole's voice called. It was gruffer than usual, and he sounded hungry.

"Not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin?" Prue said, hoping Cole was just playing with them.

Then Cole bellowed, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!"

Phoebe squealed loudly and ran jumped up (which, in her current state, meant she leapt about three inches off the ground, due to her stubby legs) as Cole busted the door in.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**cue dramatic music I put up the next chapter as well. Enjoy! Thanks for reading, hope it at least made you smile, imagining the sisters as three pigs.**_

KateB819


	18. Not By The Hair Of My Chinny, Chin Chin

"Paige, what took you so long?" Sandra asked gently.

_I hate Elders, they're too polite_, Paige thought. "I was watching a movie," she explained.

"Oh. Well, this is more important than a movie," Sandra said. "Someone has trapped the Keeper of Fairy Tales."

"Again?"

"Yes, and we think Christy may be involved."

"You _think_, or you _know_?"

"Does it matter?"

"Just wondering you guys know _anything_," she mumbled. "Okay, I'll let my sisters know." She began to orb away, but Sandra stopped her.

She shifted uncomfortably. "How's Leo?"

"What do _you_ care?" Paige snapped.

"Leo was a dear friend," she said. "I want to know how he's adjusting to mortal life."

"He's doing just fine," Paige said, more gentle. Out of all the Elders, she liked Sandra the best. _Although that's not saying much_. "Bye."

She orbed back into Phoebe's condo to find it in utter chaos. It looks like something blasted through the door. "Uh… guys?" She searched through the condo and found no trace of what happened or where her sisters were. She tried to calm down and closed her eyes to sense them. After minutes of trying in vain, she ran to the phone, which had been destroyed. "Dammit." She went to her pockets to search for her cell phone, which she had forgotten at her place. "DAMMIT!"

She orbed home, into her bedroom. She ran to get her cell phone, and rang Phoebe and Piper, who didn't pick up. Then she tried the manor, when someone smashed the door open to her bedroom. She looked up and saw an eight foot-tall, hairy, scary beast standing in the doorway.

"You damn witch," he growled. "I knew I should have kept you away from the magic world!"

"Henry?" Paige realized, appalled.

* * *

Phoebe was snorting uncontrollably now, freaking out by everything that was happening.

"Are you hyperventilating?" Prue asked.

"I **snort** think **snort** so…"

"Shh," Piper hissed.

Phoebe clamped her stubby fingers over her snout to silence the snorting.

They were almost at the manor, hiding in the shadows so no one could see them. Phoebe tried to bring Coop to her side, but it didn't work. They tried calling for Paige, as well, but that was also a futile effort.

Finally, they reached the manor. "Cover me," Piper said to her sisters.

"Cover you? With what, my tail?" Prue said, rolling her eyes.

Piper fiddled with her keys. "I can't believe how hard this is with four fingers," she complained, finally getting to the correct key. She squealed in joy as the front door opened.

"Leo," she called.

Leo walked in and almost fainted. "Piper," he breathed. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," she said, walking in. "I think that the Keeper of Fairy Tales is in trouble, again."

"Who?" Prue asked.

"He's a guy that takes care of the original artifacts of fairytales, protecting them from evil beings. If someone evil lays a hand on them, they could rewrite them, corrupting them for every future generation to come." Phoebe answered, trying in vain to jump up on the couch. Leo lifted her up. "Thanks," she said, cursing her stubby legs.

"I wonder where Paige is," Prue said, using Piper as a boost to get on the couch. Phoebe and Prue grabbed one of Piper's hands and pulled her up onto the couch. Leo looked at them, still shocked.

"And Coop isn't answering, either."

"Well, your… current situation may be jamming the signals," Leo guessed. "I'll try calling Paige and Coop."

He came back in a few minutes.

Coop teleported in. He stifled a laugh. "Hi, honey… rough day in the office?"

Phoebe stuck her tongue out at him.

"I couldn't reach Paige on her cell or on the regular phone," Leo said nervously.

"Something tells me if we're trapped in a fairytale," Phoebe surmised, "Paige is in one, too."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. _Cole_, Phoebe realized. They had barely escaped him before. Prue used her astral projection power to distract Cole enough for them to run out of the condo.

"Little pig, little pig let me in," Cole's voice called again.

"Not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin," Piper answered, ready to blow him up when he blew the door down.

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!"

He did so, and a strong gust of wind knocked the door into the house. Standing in the doorway was a six-feet, gray wolf. Cole grinned, his sharp, long teeth protruding from his crimson gums. His eyes glimmered in the light, pure black. He licked his lips.

Piper raised her hands to blow him up, but realized her arms were so short and stubby she couldn't raise them high enough. "Uh oh…" She tried to raise them higher, but it was a wasted effort.

Cole took a swipe at her, and Piper involuntarily squealed and ran behind Leo. She was about as tall as his legs. "He's gonna eat us like ham," she yelped.

Phoebe jumped off the couch and slid on her side, tripping Cole. "We gotta get outta here," she yelled. "Wyatt and Chris could get hurt!"

Prue ran out the door first, followed by Piper and Phoebe. Cole chased them out, screaming, "I'm gonna get me some pork tonight!"

* * *

Paige tried to orb out for the umpteenth time, but something was keeping her in. "Henry, let me out," she cried. "Henry?"

There was a loud thud on the other side of the door. "Shut up, witch!" He had smashed her cell phone into pieces.

"Henry, sweetie, is that you?"

"This is all your fault! You and your damn witch family!"

"Henry, calm down," she said. Obviously, demanding he release her would not work. She tried to remember how the original story of the Beauty and the Beast went, but it had been over a decade since she had seen the Disney movie, and she wasn't sure how accurate _that_ had been. But she had to try. "Henry," she spoke softly, "please?"

She heard a heavy sigh on the other side and the door opened. She flinched at the sight of him.  
He roared. "Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop looking at me like I'm a monster!"

Paige took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. If this was what she thought it was, this was not Henry's fault.

Suddenly, three demons appeared behind Henry.

"Look out!" Paige cried. Henry tackled one demon to the ground, but the other two grabbed Paige. Because she was now trapped in this twisted fairy tale, she couldn't orb or use her power, now that the demons had pinned her arms down. They went to stab her with the athame when Henry saw what was going on and took the blow instead of Paige. He roared in pain.

Paige took the opportunity and kicked one demon away from her, and called out, "athame," and aimed it at the other demon with her newly freed arm.

She pulled the athame out before the demon disappeared, and stabbed the other demon with it. She threw it at the last one, and he was vanquished as well.

She ran to Henry, who was licking his wound. He had been stabbed on the arm. He pulled away.

"Henry," she said, placing a hand on his arm, looking into his eyes.

He growled but allowed her to look at the wound.

* * *

Piper fumbled with her keys, again. They'd lost Cole somewhere near an alley behind a butcher shop. "Found it!" She unlocked the door.

"Dad," she called. Victor walked in at the sound of Piper's voice and jumped.

"Ah!" he screamed

"It's okay, it's us, dad," Phoebe said, hugging her father's leg. He had an extremely befuddled look on his face.

"We need your help," Prue said. "Cole turned into a wolf and he wants to eat us."

Piper went to the phone and dialed the manor. Leo picked up.

"Did you find it?'

"Yes," Leo said. "I'm leaving Billie with the boys, and I'll be right over."

"Thanks," Piper said. She had some problems putting the phone down, since her fingers kept getting in the way. She eventually got it down, although she slammed it and sighed. "Why couldn't we turn into something more graceful, like a cat… or something…?"

Prue sat down, but was uncomfortable because now she had fat in places she didn't have before. "I'm never going to look at a slice of bacon the same way again…" She sighed. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, we have a book in the attic that we can use as a portal. We just have to make sure Cole doesn't eat us."

"And I don't want to cook Cole, yet," Phoebe said. "We may need him before this whole Christy thing is over."

There was a knock on the door again.

"Little pig, little pig let me in…"

* * *

Paige was washing Henry's wound with warm water. "Now all I have to do is put some alcohol on it and then wrap a bandage around it," she said.

"Can't you just heal me?" he snapped.

"I tried," Paige said, trying not to lose her patience. "Someone took away my Whitelighter powers, and I can't leave," Paige grumbled. "Which will probably stand until you say I can leave."

"I don't want you to leave," he said quietly.

He said it so suddenly Paige wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly. "Oh, Henry," she whispered, dabbing his wound gently. Being gentle didn't matter; it hurt and he didn't like it.

He roared and, without thinking, pulled his arm away from her and backhanded her. Due to his incredible strength, it sent her flying into the wall, leaving a dent in it.

He seemed to immediately regret it and sighed.

Paige got up slowly. She fought the urge to smash a lamp against his head. Doing that would erase her chances of escaping.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Paige walked up to him. "This whole Christy thing has been pretty tough on you, hasn't it?" She sat down next to him tentatively. "I haven't been home that much, either, have I?"

He grumbled.

She got the alcohol out again. "If I don't wash out the wound," she explained softly, "you can die from infection." _Something tells me demons aren't too worried about sterilizing their weapons…_

He muttered something and gave her his large furry arm once again. She slowly and lightly dabbed again, and this time he didn't attack her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I know I haven't a perfect wife," she apologized. "But I love you, and I promise I will be around more after this whole thing with Christy is over."

"How can you stand to be around me if I look like this?" She saw him frown.

"Henry, I vowed _to honor, to love, and to cherish you each and every day_, remember? You think I'm gonna leave now because you got a little hairier and taller?"

"But I… threw you against the wall…"

"Ah, you get used it," she joked. She heard a deep rumbling and assumed it was his laughing.

"Paige, I knew what I was getting into when I married you. I mean, no veil, freaking out over the cap on the toothpaste…"

Paige laughed.

"And I love you," Henry said.

Paige did her best to kiss him, and got a mouthful of fur in the process. "Henry, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheek.

Then, Henry began to glow. Light shot from his body and filled the room. Paige shielded her eyes and when she opened them, there was Henry, human once again.

"Wow," he said. "Talk about a makeover."

Paige laughed. Then she sensed her sisters were in danger.

Henry read her face. "Go," he said. "I think I can bandage my arm myself."

Paige seemed conflicted about leaving her husband, again.

"_Go_," he commanded. "If something happens to your sisters, I'll never forgive myself." Unlike most of the men she had dated in the past, he understood the importance of people left under her charge. If he ignored the calls for his parolees, and something happened to one of them, he would never be able to sleep at night. While this didn't make it easier for him to watch his wife constantly leave him, he knew it would be even harder knowing he had gotten in the way of her sisters' survival.

Paige nodded and gave him a grateful kiss. "I don't know what I did to get someone like you," she said, "but I'm glad I did." She orbed out.

* * *

She orbed back into Victor's apartment, only to see Cole dangling Phoebe over his mouth. She took in the scene in both horror and amusement. Phoebe, Prue, and Phoebe were three-feet tall pigs, and Cole was easily double their sizes. Now he was holding Phoebe by her left leg, and was about to swallow her whole. Phoebe was squealing at the top of her lungs, snorting to take breaths. Her little coiled tail was wiggling, and Phoebe was swiping at him with her arms, but kept missing because of their length.

"Phoebe," Paige called, and she orbed into Phoebe's arms. "Why didn't you use your power?" she asked Prue.

"My arms are too stubby," she groaned. "Same with Piper. Our tiny piggy powers are no match for his big wolf body."

Leo came running in with a book. "Hurry," he said as Cole charged at them.

Victor picked up the playpen he kept at his place for when the boys came over and smacked Cole across the face with it, knocking him out temporarily. "Go!"

"Score one for dad," Prue said. Leo held open the book.

"Jump in!"

They did so, leaving Leo and Victor to keep Cole at bay.

They wound up in a cavern.

No one was there. _Christy must have just did her thing with the artifacts and then left_, Piper figured, grateful that they didn't have to fight her just yet.

Phoebe said a spell she had made up on the spot:

_Freedoms lost for this poor Keeper_

_Free him now from this damn mirror_

"Nice," Paige said, as the Keeper came out of the mirror.

"Thanks," he said. "Again."

"Any idea where she went?" Piper asked.

"No, sorry," he said. "She seemed so confident this plan would work."

"Well, hopefully that will be her downfall," Prue said.

* * *

Phoebe went to the door when the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" Coop asked from the couch.

"No one," Phoebe said, ad then looked down. "But someone left me flowers."

She looked at the card.

"What's it say?"

Phoebe smiled. "It says, _Sorry I tried to eat you_."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_Okay, another decently long chapter. I guess I'm going to continue the pattern and put up the next two together, since they are going to go together. (Hint: Movies, anyone?) I hope you liked the last two. Thanks for reading!_**

**_As I always say, comments, questions, demands, pointing out mistakes, responses to my response(s), and criticism are all welcome._**

**_By the way, on a sadder note, this will be the last week I will be posting as regularly as I do. School starts next Tuesday, and I'm sorry to say school takes priority over this. THIS DOES NOT MEAN I WILL STOP WRITING, it just means that the posting will be slowed down to about a chapter a week._**

KateB819


	19. My Dear the Seer

**Wow, I got a lotta catching up to do...:**

_CharmedNeptune47, thanks. The pigs was the only thing I could think of that was funny enough..._

_jiejei1, well this whole thing was Christy's doing, but we hadn't actually SEEN her, yet... I loved writing the sisters' lines. I tried writing the Henry/Paige thing as best I could... too bad I haven't really been in love yet, so it was a bit hard to figure out if it sounded too cheesy..._

_charmed4eva112, yeah the school thing is ruining my writing time. And it didn't help my grandma had a cataract surgery the week before and I had to help out with that. / But thanks for your comment!!_

_PrueAndyForever, yeah, what Charmed story isn't complete without the Triad? :D I loved thinking of Cole as the "big bad wolf" and the little note at the end was inspired by the one where he tried to strangle her._

_writerchic16, glad I made you laugh! I aim to please. :P I tried my best at Henry and Paige's scenes... I'm not much for writing romance, but I definitely wanted to try my hand at it._

_piperspeanut, yeah my goal is to take everything I liked about the show and give it the KateB819-twist. I couldn't think about anything to do with Paige and Henry at first, and the B&B popped into my head. I try to keep it funny, thanks for letting me know I succeeded!_

_ChristineRudd, I am so happy you liked the two chapters. This one should be the last two-parter for a while, only because of the whole school thing. I was trying to plan it so I could get this one out before school started, but then my grandma had a catarct surgery, and I had to pitch in with that._

_Mystery-Lizzy, wow a new reader! XD Sure, I'll ask you if I need help with spells! Thanks for your comment._

_Welsh-Canuck, thanks. I try to tie in parts of the show that I like, and that was definitely one of them. I'm trying to get the chapters out as fast as I can but unfortunately before I planned out this story, I signed up for a few advanced classes. /_

_PeterPanTinkerBell27, thanks for your comment._

_littlemissbad, I am very happy you liked the scavener hunt and the two chapters I posted. Glad I could make you laugh! :)_

_missypaige... whoa... o.O Lotsa catching up to do, huh? :P Here goes... Bonding moments are good... hard to write and figuring out where to put them, but fun anyway. Zankou was a personal favorite baddie of mine, we'll be seeing more of him later. Paige and Prue would butt heads, realistically, because they're so alike and yet they're not, so it was fun playing around with the dynamics of their different relationships with Phoebe and Piper. Shopping was a fun scene to write, I could see it in my head! The catty remarks were definitely a cool thing to add in. I'm trying my best to implement action scenes, but unfortunately Charmed was more of a "special-effects" show and Buffy was the one with action... oh well. Thanks for the birthday wish! Ha, making people cry was not my intention but thanks for that... Rhymes were fun to write, and the scavenger hunt was an idea that randomly popped into my head and I ran with it. I would try to kill Paige off more (lol) but I think she's a lot more capable than Prue is, and I think she's more careful now than before because she's trying to prove to Prue she is able to take care of herself. Glad you liked the Paige/Henry scenes. I'll see what I can do about putting more in later, the next few chapters don't have much to do with them but I know that later there should be another one..._

* * *

The sisters ate brunch again. Understandably, they did not eat any pork, bacon, or ham.

"Okay, who's up for watching a good horror flick," Phoebe asked afterwards.

"Can't we watch something more… cheerful?" Paige pouted. "I feel like we're _living_ in a horror flick."

"We could watch _Scream_," Prue suggested.

"Oh, I can never make it through the movie," Paige said.

"Huh, that's weird," Phoebe said.

Cole shimmered in. "We have a problem," he said. "The Seer finally agreed to help Christy, so now they can see all of our next moves." He looked at Phoebe and sadly remembered trying to eat her the day before. "Hi, Phoebe."

"Hi," she said. "Eaten any bacon lately," she teased lightly. After all, it wasn't his fault.

"Wait, are you saying the Seer hasn't been working for Christy this whole time?"

"Exactly. But she thinks Christy has proven her worth now. The Seer doesn't work for anyone unless she thinks they are worthy of it."

"What 'convinced' her?" Piper folded her arms.

"The fact that she can command all these demons and hasn't been killed yet," he said.

"Who's the Seer?" Prue finally asked.

"Just a demonic Phoebe," Piper explained. "She sees things, but unlike Phoebe, can access her visions whenever she wants. She helped us destroy the original Source because he went power-crazy, and then corrupted Cole."

"And then she got me pregnant by Cole and tried to steal my baby," Phoebe said. "But we used the Power of Three to vanquish her sorry butt."

"I'm going to try and find her," Cole said. "I may not be the Power of Three, but she doesn't have the power to vanquish me."

"She'll see you coming," Piper warned.

"I'm counting on it," Cole said. "She's the reason I became the Source, the reason Phoebe—"

He shut up. Dragging up old, bad memories would do him no good, especially now that Phoebe and him were behaving like civilized exes. "I'm going," he stated, and shimmered out.

"Way to ruin a post-brunch," Paige sighed.

* * *

"DAMMIT!" Christy roared, the shrieking echoing through the tunnels.

The Seer did not shy away; the Source had often reacted the same way when the Charmed Ones had foiled his plans. "My dear, this is only the beginning," she said, trying to pacify the enraged woman. "Why, with your powers and my ability to predict the sisters' actions—"

"Silence!" she yelled with such fury and spontaneity that the Seer jumped involuntarily. "I asked you to be my advisor, not my leader!"

Asmodeus appeared. "Calm yourself, Christy," he said soothingly. "Being angry will do you no good."

"But they've lived through yet another one of my plans," she snapped.

"A plan," Asmodeus cut in, his voice cold and sharp, "that you did not notify us of, need I remind you?"

Christy stood there, defiant with fire in her eyes, burning like the flames she could manipulate. "And?"

Asmodeus sighed. How many times would they need to go through this? "Christy, Candor, Baliel, and I have discussed it. We want you to send in the Demon of Illusion now."

She rolled her eyes. "Why? And with who?"

"Alone," he answered, ignoring her first question. "Do not forget, we don't answer to you."

"Whatever," she said, sitting down. "I'll do it." She looked at the Seer, who peeked into the future.

Her eyes turned white, then after several moments, they returned to their normal color. Panic and fear filled them. "Someone's coming," she warned.

Asmodeus disappeared.

Cole shimmered in.

Christy's eyes widened as she ran out of the room. Cole flung an energy ball at her, but it missed and she escaped. Cole went to shimmer out and kill her, but the Seer threw herself at him, knocking her down.

"Seer," Cole said, pushing her off. "You've never been the self-sacrificing type." _I guess I'll have to settle for her_.

"Working for good once again, Belthazor?" She sounded amused and teleported out.

_Dammit,_ Cole thought.

* * *

Christy stalked into a large room, deep within the labyrinths of the Underworld. She had to stay there, now, until she could find another safe cavern. The Seer teleported in.

"He won't find us, not for a while," she assured.

Christy sighed heavily. "Where the hell is the Demon of Illusion?" she asked Zankou, the nearest person.

"Over there," he pointed.

Without thanking him, she walked over. "You're next."

He looked surprised. "I am?"

"Are you deaf?" she retorted. "Go!"

"Who's my partner, the Seer?"

"You're flying solo," the Seer told him. "Unless you want me to tag along?"

"No," he said, leaving with a grin.

"Did you see anything else?" Christy asked the Seer.

"No. And since I need to focus on a particular event, I will be returning to the place Cole attacked us so I can get some power-boosting ingredients." She teleported out.

She looked around. _Seems fine_, she figured. She stepped out into the open and screamed as someone grabbed her from behind.

"Surprise," the voice taunted.

"Cole," she realized with disdain.

"You forgot I have the Source's memories," Cole said, so close to her face she felt his warm breath. "A bit confusing, seeing as how I'm really Cole and I remember both Cole and the Source's memories. But I'm sorting it out slowly – including recalling the fact that you require certain items to boost your capabilities of seeing into the future."

The Seer contemplated teleporting out with him and having Christy or a demon deal with Cole, but that would ruin any chances of successfully defeating the Charmed Ones. She had to take one for the team.

"Tell me where the others are, and I will let you go," he said, appealing to her tendency to worry about her survival and less about others.

She swallowed hard. "No."

Realizing he had no other choice, he let her go and swiftly threw an energy ball at her before she had a chance to leave.

_Time to find the others_, he thought tiredly.

* * *

The sisters were curled up on the couch, having been unable to decide what movie to watch. The men went out to play golf, taking the boys out.

"The boys need some fresh air," Piper pointed out.

"As long as Wyatt doesn't orb Leo's golf ball in," Coop joked.

"Yeah, Piper's the only one allowed to touch Leo's balls," Henry had teased.

Phoebe was resting her head on Prue's shoulder, and Paige was lying across Piper's lap, her legs dangling off the side of the couch.

Something clattered upstairs.

"Ugh," Piper groaned. Couldn't they get a break for _one_ day?

"On it," Paige said, orbing upstairs. Uneasy that she had gone up there herself, Phoebe got up to go upstairs when Paige orbed back down. Her face was paler than usual.

"Paige," Prue said, "you look like you just saw a ghost."

Paige didn't smile. More noises came from upstairs.

"Paige?" Piper waved her hand in front of her younger sister's face, as if to wake her up. "You okay?"

"We have a problem," she finally stammered. Then the words poured out. "The guy from _Scream_ was coming from our attic, Dracula from _Van Helsing_ was using our toilet, and there's a weird man with long hair sitting on the steps to the attic…"

Billie came running in form the kitchen, panicked. "Guys, I don't wanna scare you, but Spike from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ is standing in your kitchen."

Prue, Phoebe, and Piper stood there with their mouths open. Who the hell wrote _this_ script?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_Oh my God, I am so sorry it took so long to get this one out. But good news? I got two chapters..._**

**_Enjoy!! Thanks for reading!!_**

KateB819


	20. Horror is in Store

Spike walked in, smug and confident. He was sporting his trademark black leather jacket, black pants, black shoes, and a black t-shirt. His short blond hair was slick.

"Where the bloody hell am I?" he asked in his British accent, placing his hands in his pockets.

Everyone just stared at him.

"Anyone see Buffy?"

They continued to stare at him.

He sighed impatiently. "Tiny little blonde thing, likes to hit things, then poke them with a sharp small piece of wood…"

"You do realize you're not in the television world anymore, right?" Piper looked him over.

He looked around. "I guess so," he slowly realized.

"Out of curiosity," Phoebe said, "what… season are you from?"

"Seventh," he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to answer.

"So you have your soul," she observed. Her sisters gave her a weird look. "I followed the show," she said.

A man came down the stairs. He had long hair, past his shoulders, and was wearing the same kind of outfit as Spike. "Where am I?" he asked in a British accent, as well.

"Who are _you_?" Phoebe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Where am I?" the man repeated.

Paige gasped when she realized. "That's… Lucian, from the _Underworld_ movies!"

"Huh?" Prue was confused.

"He's a werewolf!"

Lucian seemed caught off-guard that a bunch of mortals knew what he was. "You've got someone claiming to be a vampire and a guy in a long black cloak upstairs. _Where are we_?"

"You're in San Francisco," Prue answered.

Spike shrugged and went back into the kitchen. Lucian began to walk out the front door. Phoebe went up to him. "No, you can't leave," she began. Lucian just shoved her aside, and Phoebe hit her head, knocking her out almost instantaneously. The front door slammed.

Then the back door slammed. "Wait, I thought Spike was a vampire and can't go into sunlight," Billie said, helping Piper to put Phoebe on the couch.

Prue peeked outside. "It's cloudy enough," she noted. They heard flapping outside.

"There goes Dracula," Paige groaned. "That's it, we need reinforcements," she said, orbing out.

"Phoebe looks like she'll be out for a while," Billie noticed, "so I'll drive her home."

After they left, it was Piper and Prue, alone. "Okay, so there should be the guy from _Scream_ upstairs," Prue said.

They went upstairs and checked in every room, but couldn't find him. "Maybe he went downstairs," Piper suggested.

"I'll keep checking up here," Prue said nervously, "and you look downstairs."

Piper nodded, unsure. She walked down the stairs, her heart beating, and her breaths coming out shakily. She was sweating bullets, and she noticed her hand trembled as it rested on the railing. "Hello?" she called out dumbly. "Come on, Piper," she said to herself, "you've dealt with homicidal movie villains before."

She peeked into the conservatory, and didn't see anything.

Then she heard a noise behind her, saw some movement, and was too late by the time the man struck with the knife.

* * *

Paige finished explaining things to the men.

"Sounds like the Demon of Illusion," Leo said, recalling what the sisters had dealt with several years ago. "There's a spell to vanquish him, but we'd have to find him first."

There was a whoosh, and when Paige turned around, she saw Dracula. He looked utterly ridiculous in his tacky outfit. "Do I have to call the Fang Busters?" Paige teased.

"Silence!" The hammy immortal yelled.

"I'm sure that would work on other women, but you've gotta remember that this is the twenty-first century."

He leapt at Paige, who orbed away.

"Go, guys!"

Leo grabbed Wyatt and Chris. "The only way Dracula can be vanquished is by a werewolf," Leo told Coop and Henry.

"Wait," Henry realized. _Thank God, I watched the _Underworld_ movies_, he thought to himself. "Lucian is a Lycan."

"And?" Coop was clutching the golf bags.

"Lycans are werewolves. If we could talk to Lucian, maybe he'd—"

"I'm not sure he'd settle for that," Leo said skeptically.

"But these werewolves are really humans with a virus," Henry recalled.

"Could work," Coop said. They ran back to the house.

* * *

Phoebe woke up, her ears ringing. "Ow," she groaned as she sat up, to see Billie. She was trying to smile, stay cheerful, but Phoebe could feel worry coming off her in waves. "What's up?"

"All the movie villains left the manor. Paige went to track down Dracula, and Prue and Piper are at the manor." Someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Billie called.

"Who do you think, blondie?" The British accent came in, annoyed. "Look, do you want help with the other villains, or not?"

Billie opened the door.

* * *

Prue's search was fruitless, so she went to check on Piper. It was oddly quiet, but then again, if they were searching for someone, she didn't expect Piper to be banging pots and pans, either.

She was tiptoeing along the first floor when she saw Piper lying on the ground, with a knife sticking out of her chest.

"Piper!" Prue's heart leapt into her throat, and she began sobbing as she dropped to her sister's side. She fought the urge to call, "Leo," remembering he was no longer a Whitelighter. Blood was pooling around Piper, and Prue searched for a pulse, which she found. It was weak, but it was there. "Piper, come on, honey," she whispered. She heard a noise behind her and saw the villain from _Scream_ run by…

* * *

The men came running up to the manor with the boys and Paige. They were surprised to see Lucian sitting on the steps.

"You're still here," Paige said incredulously. "Why?"

Lucian looked thoughtful. "This world… this world, it's not the world I come from, is it? It's different… Like the lines are not set in stone anymore, like I have freedom to say what I want, do what I please…"

"Yes," Leo said. "So what do you wish to do?"

Lucian looked up. "My time has long passed," he stated quietly. "If you need my help, then I will help you. But promise me one thing."

"Name it," Henry said.

"Kill me when this is over. I have no reason to live anymore, in this world or mine."

"Done," Henry said. As he recalled, Lucian was a werewolf that fell in love with a vampire, which was forbidden. Sonja's father, Viktor, had found out and condemned his daughter, executing her with no remorse. Ever since then, Lucian has been seeking revenge, and by the end of _Underworld_, Viktor was dead, but not by Lucian's hands. Rather, it had been done by Selene, a vampire warrior that had discovered Viktor's malicious lies and decided to put an end to his horrific reign over the vampires. With his love dead, and his revenge complete, there was no reason for him to live anymore. "Thanks."

Everyone began to go inside, and there was a loud clattering in the conservatory. They ran in.

The guy from _Scream_ was struggling with Prue.

"Quick," Prue cried. "How did this guy die in the movie?"

_One was shot,_ Paige vaguely recalled. _And the first one had a TV drop on top of him…_ "TV," Paige called, and dropped the orbs on top of the villain. Prue kicked him off and picked up the television, smashing it on him. She backed away from him and remembered Piper.

"Paige…"

Paige saw Piper and went over to her, pulled the knife out carefully, and began to heal her. Everyone began to relax.

Then the villain pushed the television off him and leapt back up, picking us his knife and holding it against Leo's neck. "Let's play a little game," his voice said.

"Not interested," Henry said, whipping out his gun and shooting the villain in one fluid motion. The villain collapsed on the ground, dropping the knife.

"Good shot," Piper commented, now fully healed.

"Wait," Coop said. "Remember, the killer always comes back for one last scare…"

The villain sprang back up, but Henry was ready and shot him again. "Not in my movie," he quoted.

* * *

"So we're down one villain," Phoebe said, hanging up the phone. "I told Piper we have Spike, and they have Lucian. We just have to find Dracula and that lady from the _Grudge_, and we've got everyone."

"They killed the guy from _Scream_?"

"Yeah, Henry shot him. I guess the villain was Billy from the first movie."

Spike came in. "So, what's the plan, then?"

"Well, according to Piper, they figured that Lucian can kill Dracula because he's a werewolf. So I guess that leaves you with creepy dead lady."

"Does she have a name, this creepy dead lady?" Spike asked, merely curious.

"Probably, but I don't know it," Phoebe responded. "And I'm not quite sure how to kill her. We just need you to distract her long enough for us to vanquish the Demon of Illusion."

"What a boring name," Billie remarked. "Why not call him 'Demon of Movies?'"

"Because then his name would be Uwe Boll," Phoebe quipped. "So we go back to the manor… and figure everything out there."

"Sounds like a plan," Spike said.

* * *

Spike was sitting on the couch. "Run this by me again, won't you, luv?"

Billie sighed. This really was a thickheaded vampire. "We summon the creepy dead lady," she began.

"Kayako," Henry corrected.

"Anyway, you fight with her, because she can't hurt you," Leo continued.

"Then we summon Dracula," Phoebe said.

"And Lucian takes care of him," Piper elaborated.

"Finally, we summon the Demon of Illusion," Prue said, "with this spell I wrote."

"And we finish it all off with a big vanquish. Hopefully, this will send you all back to where you belong," Paige concluded

"Good," Lucian said. "For most of us, anyway."

The men left with the boys to go stay at Victor's until the whole ordeal was over.

* * *

_Heed the words being said_

_Bring back the lady dead_

_To the room we are standing in_

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige read. Kayako appeared, and began making her croaking noise. Her movements caused popping and cracking noises, and her eyes were pure white and black. Blood streamed down her face, and she looked ready for revenge.

"Looks like I have my work cut out for me," Spike said. "The woman's a bloody mess."

"Have fun," Phoebe said, patting him on the shoulder and leaving with her sisters.

They were alone in the basement. Spike went after her and snapped her neck, turning it 180 degrees, only for her to turn it back and glare at him.

"Bloody hell, woman's a bloody owl!" He kicked her so her head snapped back and grabbed one arm and flung her into the wall.

She gave an angry shriek.

Spike punched her in the face again. _I never thought I'd _miss_ Sunnydale,_ he thought as she began spewing black water.

* * *

_Bring forth the lord of the night_

_Into our house and sight_

_Lead him to where we dwell_

_The evil bat from Hell_

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe chanted. Instantaneously, Dracula appeared.

"Oh, how sweet, the women _want_ to fight me. Very well, let's do this. You can't kill me, anyway." He reared his head back and cackled.

"Maybe not," Prue said, "but he can." She pointed at Lucian.

The sisters swiftly left them in the living room and fled to the attic.

Without hesitation, Lucian jumped high enough for his hair to graze the ceiling, and pushed Dracula to the ground. Dracula tried to transform into his other, inhuman form, but Lucian gave him a strong enough punch to knock him out for a second. Then Lucian head-butted him and took his head in his hands and smacked it with the ground with all his might.

Lucian howled and elbowed Dracula in the chest.

_Those women better hurry, I don't know how long I can keep him pinned down,_ Lucian thought. He gave Dracula a kick in the shins for good measure.

* * *

_Allow us to see the demon now–_

_A being whose power is to endow_

_Violence in those that watch–_

_A form that we can touch_

Prue, Piper, and Paige chanted. Phoebe stood by with Billie, ready for the Demon of Illusion to foil their plan. That he did.

He appeared and looked amused. Christie was by his side, as was someone Phoebe couldn't place immediately.

"Christie," Billie said, not expecting this change of events.

_Jeric,_ Phoebe finally realized.

"Wasn't expecting this, were you?" Christie sneered.

Christie grabbed Phoebe from behind and threw her against the wall, knocking her down. Jeric grabbed Billie and disappeared in a pile of sand with Christie, leaving the Demon of Illusion alone. He looked utterly confused.

"Wait," he called. "You were supposed to take me with you!"

"Sounds like it was a one-way ticket," Cole said, helping Phoebe to her feet.

Cole shimmered Phoebe behind the Demon of Illusion, and she gave him a roundhouse kick to keep him preoccupied as her sisters read out the spell to vanquish him:

_Evil that has traveled near, _

_I call on you to disappear, _

_Elementals hear my call, _

_Remove this creature from these walls_

The demon cried out in sheer horror and exploded, sending a wave of energy through the room. His screams gradually died away.

"We have to find Billie," Phoebe said immediately. "Scrying time."

"Who was that?" Prue asked as they gathered around the map.

As Phoebe began to explain, Piper and Paige went to the living room and basement, relieved to find that everyone was gone. _At least one thing went right,_ Piper thought. Except now they had to worry about what Christie was planning to do with Billie.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Okay, not my best work... at least, I don't think it was... Probably because my focus was split in a billion different ways. And, apparently, my writing time will be cut down even more than I thought. Besides school, my hockey season is starting in a couple weeks. So if you don't hear for me for a couple weeks, I am sincerely sorry. I'll try to get chapters out every week, especially since I don't plan to have any more two-chapter packages out for a while.**_

_**Anyway, I really hope you did have fun reading these two chapters. And, as always: comments, critiques, questions, demands, responses, and anything else I may have forgotten are always welcome!**_

_**Thank you so much for reading!!**_

KateB819


	21. Fear Itself

**Sincere apologies for the incredibly long delay...**

_PeterpanTinkerbell27, I'm sorry if I used movies/shows that you haven't seen... hope it wasn't too confusing? And yes, I'm the writer of this weird script... GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? lol_

_WelshCanuck, I loved Chick Flick too, definitely a funny and creative ep. And I love that scene where Paige dies in Scream, I'm always thinking she'll orb out or her sisters will come in to save her or something..._

_littlemissbad, thanks for all the positive comments... Don't worry, Prue won't be lonely forever... ^.^ Well, I didn't like Ch. 19 & 20, but I'm pretty satisfied with Ch. 21..._

_Christine Rudd, well after such a long time, I had time to write [vacation from school = (+)]... Glad you liked those chapters... they were hard to write, but I loved Chick Flick so much I had to give it a go._

_CharmedNeptune47, I loved Spike. It was between him and Angel and I had to go with Spike... Angel's too *broody*_

_rose lily potter, thanks for commenting!_

_piperspeanut, thanks!! It was pretty difficult to get all these weird characters in two chapters, but I somehow did it... this chapter doesn't do much other than vanquish some demons..._

_jiejei1, I love Spike, I had to add him!! It's hard to find a Buffy/Charmed fan... I'm not sure if you're hoping Christy & Billie will wind up getting a happy ever after... hope you like this chapter. And hockey is going pretty well..._

_Naturally-Susan, WOW... the WHOLE thing? lol Glad you're enjoying the ride. Hockey and school are fine._

_Angelic Ami, WHOA... you too? Cool... This chapter doesn't do much other than get some more demons out of the way for the big finish... I get another break from school in a month, so that should = more writing time!!_

_missypaige06, well, it's taken me longer to write them, so... lol No worries... Thanks for taking the time to review!!  
_

**

* * *

**"Scrying is a no-go," Paige fretted. "Which means either Christy's hiding her very well, or…" She let her voice trail off.

"…Or… We've already lost Billie to Christy," Piper finished.

"God, I hope not," Phoebe said.

Piper locked her eyes onto Phoebe's. "Phoebes, you realize this time that if we do lose her to Christy again…"

"What?" Phoebe demanded. "We'll have to kill her?"

"Well, yes," Piper said slowly. "We can't afford, especially now… We can't afford to be weak and—"

"I am _not_ killing her, Piper," Phoebe stated firmly. "I won't."

"Phoebe," Prue said quietly, "we can't afford to get emotional about this…"

"I agree with Phoebe," Paige stated. "We can't just kill Billie. Not after all we've been through with her."

"Yeah, well, Prue and I have seniority over you two," Piper said.

Prue ignored her sister's statement. "If we get emotional instead of cutting our losses…"

"'Cutting our losses?' For Pete's sake, Prue, she's a friend, she's part of the family. I don't care if I'm getting emotional!"

"Emotions, in this case, make you weak," Prue said. "Our powers come from our emotion, but if we let them get in the way of our judgment…"

Cole spoke up. He and the rest of the men had remained out of this debate mostly for self-preservation. "If I may say something…"

"No," Piper said. "We're keeping you here just for help, and we all know who's side you're going to take."

"I agree with Prue," he stated.

"WHAT?" Phoebe yelled.

He shrugged. "Emotions cloud judgment. That's why evil tends to ignore the emotions, so there's nothing interfering with logic."

Prue looked surprised. "Thanks, Cole."

"I'm not finished," he replied. Prue gave a sigh. "Phoebe's not evil," he pointed out.

"But if it's clouding her judgment—"

"Would you let me speak?" Cole asked. "My opinion may not count too much, but it's still an opinion that should count for _something_." Prue waved her hand, signaling him to continue. "Thank you. Now, what's the difference between warriors and soldiers?"

"Okay, if you're gonna just give us riddles," Piper said, annoyed, "then your opinion's worth just decreased."

Cole went to make his point. "Warriors get emotional. You guys are warriors. You're not just any group of witches – what do you think makes you so special? Any other witch out there is just another soldier against evil, but you guys, you're warriors. You guys have emotions that tell you when to make a certain call, and when not to. Other witches don't have that. Other witches rely on logic, on rationalizing a response to a situation, but you guys react on instinct, on a gut feeling. That's what makes you guys the Charmed Ones, it's what makes you stand out. Warriors follow a gut feeling in battle. They don't stand there contemplating what to do next. Warriors are the soldiers that have the ability to doubt – to question – orders given to them. Other witches, they do what a Whitelighter or a Coven leader asks them to do, and don't think twice. But _you guys_, you question authority, you guys show that the wheels are turning up there. Soldiers are just robots following what they were programmed to do… but warriors have a heart and use that to lead them in time of crises."

Everyone was silent for a moment. "And what if their hearts lead them to their death?" Prue asked. "What then?"

"Then their heart was wrong," he conceded. "But how many times have you guys followed your hearts, and they led to something great? How many times have warriors followed their hearts and it's turned out wonderful?"

"And how many times have these warriors died because they were too busy listening to their hearts?"

"Isn't it worth the risk? Isn't it worth risking death to save someone else?"

Prue didn't answer.

"What happened to you guys?" Cole demanded. "The Charmed Ones I knew would give up anything to save an innocent. What changed?"

"Maybe we gave up one thing too many," Piper replied quietly, remembering how she had been forced by the Angel of Destiny to give up Leo to fight the Ultimate Power and the Triad. "We've lost so much and I'm not willing to risk much more."

"I'm not asking you to risk anything," Phoebe said. "I just want you to give Billie the benefit of the doubt. How do we know Christy isn't just really good at hiding her?"

"We don't," Piper agreed. "I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt –_ for now _– but if we see we've lost her, then I'm gonna vanquish her as soon as possible. Maybe you want to be a warrior," she said to Phoebe, "but I've got two sons and a husband to think about."

"I know, sweetie, and I'm not asking you to put them in harm's way. Just don't give up on Billie yet, okay?"

"Fine," she said going over to hug her sister. Then she muttered, "But when we get her out of this, she owes me free babysitting for life."

Phoebe laughed.

* * *

"Christy, think about this," Billie said. "Do you really want me by your side because you turned me evil?"

"I'm not turning you evil," Christy shouted. "I'm bringing you to the side where you belong!"

Jeric stalked into the room. "You have your sister. Now revive my love."

Christy glared at him. "You're giving me commands? How dare you!"

"You promised."

"I will when my sister is by my side. Until then, you will wait patiently, or join your precious Isis."

"But—"

Christy cut him off. "I have no problems killing minions like you."

Jeric growled. "You need me."

"Do I?" She shot a fireball from her hand, and it hit Imara, who was standing nearby. That was the end of her. "_Do I_?"

Jeric gulped.

"That's right, and she didn't even piss me off. So if I were you, I would leave before I decide I don't need you anymore."

Jeric met her eyes slowly. "Then why _do_ you need me? What's stopping you from killing me?"

"If you must know, I need someone that can hold Billie in an unconscious state without hurting her… in case this spell doesn't work." She waved him away. "Now leave."

Unhappy but unwilling to anger her further, Jeric left.

Billie shook the bars of the cage Christy had placed her in. "Christy, you're evil! The Charmed Ones are good, the Triad just made them look evil to you!"

Christy sighed with disgust. "How can you even _think_ you're on the right side?"

"Christy, I'm begging you, don't make us have to vanquish you." Tears were in Billie's eyes as she realized there was no reasoning with her sister. "Please, I don't want to lose you."

Christy threw some ingredients in a large pot, and a large puff of smoke rose from the pot with a large "BOOM." She grinned. "Luckily, you won't have to." She turned her attention to the pot and drenched a piece of paper in it.

_Curse those witches that had lied,_

_Bring my sister to my side_

The smoke turned from white to a dark green and engulfed Billie.

* * *

Everyone was in the attic. Piper was still scrying, and Paige was focusing on trying to locate Billie.

Phoebe suddenly stood up and began to leave the attic.

"Where are you going?" Prue asked.

"I just had an idea," she said. "Cole, come with me?"

Cole got up and walked out with her. "What's on your mind?"

"I want to summon Jeric," Phoebe said.

"Are you crazy?"

"No, but he is." Cole started to say something, but Phoebe kept talking. "Look, you told me to follow my heart, and that's what I'm doing."

"That's when I thought your heart was sane and not suicidal," Cole said. "Phoebe, this guy is unstable. He's intent on freeing the one he loves, you know that just as well as I do."

"If I know Christy, she's not willing to let Jeric go until she's sure she has Billie on her side. She needs the safety net, because she knows there is no guarantee that she will get Billie on her side. That means we have until then – until Christy is content that Billie is on her side. If we grab Jeric and promise him that we can give him Isis back—"

"But we can't! We need the Power of Three, and your sisters will never agree."

"_He_ doesn't know that." Phoebe looked desperate. "Cole, I need you to get me Jeric. He can tell us where Billie is before it's too late."

Cole shifted uneasily. "What if he doesn't? What if he kills me and then comes after you and your sisters?"

"Then I guess my heart was wrong. But, isn't it worth the risk? Isn't it worth risking death to save someone else?"

Cole rolled his eyes at Phoebe turning his own words against him. "I guess it is," he said, shimmering out.

"Thank you," Phoebe whispered.

* * *

Half an hour passed. Prue had since taken over scrying, Paige was still sensing for Billie, and Piper and Leo were tending to Wyatt and Chris. Coop, Henry, and Phoebe were taking turns flipping through the Book of Shadows to see if there was another way to locate a witch.

Cole shimmered back in. "Phoebe, can I see you in private?"

Coop raised his eyebrow at Phoebe, but she just gave him a look at said, "Don't read so much into it."

"Well?" Phoebe asked when they were out of earshot of the others.

"I found him. He's waiting for us in the basement."

"Who's 'him?'" Piper asked.

Phoebe and Cole whirled around to see Leo and Piper standing there, arms crossed.

Cole looked at Phoebe.

"It was _his_ idea," Phoebe insisted.

Piper and Leo didn't look convinced.

"Crap."

* * *

Jeric waited patiently in the Halliwells' basement. Cole had said that the sisters were willing to return Isis to him, but he had to divulge where Christy had taken Billie. _Soon, my love, we will be together again_. It had been impossible to restore Isis even temporary after he had been vanquished. Being resurrected came with the price that his magic's strength waned.

"My, my, my. Making a pact with the angel, are we?" A mocking voice rang through the basement.

"Who are you?" Jeric demanded. He was not in the mood to play games.

"I am a demon," the voice answered. "Next question."

"Show yourself!"

The demon appeared in front of him. Jeric recognized him immediately.

"Barbas."

"I have a proposition," Barbas said. "You agree with the sisters to bring them to Christy in return for Isis, and I won't tell Christy what you're doing."

"What are you planning, Barbas?"

He grinned. "You needn't worry about a thing. Take the deal." He teleported out, and the sisters walked into the basement.

Jeric tried to hide whatever emotion he was showing to his conversation with Barbas and faced the sisters with a neutral face. "You told me," he said to Cole, "that it was just Phoebe."

"Change of plans," Piper said, staring Jeric down. "Take us to Christy and you'll get Isis."

"Give me Isis and I'll take you to Christy."

"Forget it," Prue said. "You need us."

"And you need me."

"Yes, but we can vanquish you right here; you can't," Paige pointed out.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "But if Isis is not returned to me—"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Piper snapped. "Now take us to Christy."

"Wait, what's the plan?" Prue asked. "I mean, we don't have any potions or anything…"

"We go in there, grab Billie, and run," Paige answered. "Seems pretty simple to me. I don't think we can face her right now, anyway, not with all those demons running around. We'd take her out and then they'd all come after us at once. Right now, she's the only thing holding them back."

"Fine," Phoebe said. "Are we ready?"

The three other sisters nodded. Cole said, "I'm coming along… just in case."

Jeric teleported out, and Cole and the sisters followed.

* * *

Christy slammed her fist against the wall. "Damn it! Why won't it work?"

"Having some magical trouble, girl?" Phoebe asked as the sisters orbed in with Cole and Jeric.

Christy saw Jeric and her face contorted in anger. "You! How dare you!"

"They promised me my love _now_," he simply replied.

"I can give her to you, now!" Christy spontaneously hurled a fireball at Jeric, who burst into flames, howling in agony.

The sisters stared at the pile of ash that had been Jeric a few moments before in disbelief.

"Is there anyone you _won't_ kill?" Paige asked in horror.

"I kill when it is necessary."

"Where is your sister, Christy?" Phoebe demanded.

"Not going with you."

Barbas appeared.

"You," Prue said, wondering what would happen now that one of the worst demons they had ever encountered was now in the mix.

"Do it, Barbas," Christy commanded.

Barbas looked disgusted at being given orders but waved his hand over the sisters' faces. "Well, well, well… it looks like your worst fear is losing Billie to Christy. That can be arranged."

Billie suddenly appeared at Christy's side.

"And, what do you know, that's Billie's worst fear as well."

"Billie come with us," Phoebe said. "Please."

Billie didn't move. "I belong here with my sister," she said in a monotone.

Prue elbowed Paige and mouthed something to her.

"Oh," she said, reading Prue's mind. She held her arms out. "Billie!" she called.

Billie remained where she was standing.

"I told you guys, she's not leaving with you."

Piper placed her arms as if to blow Billie up, but Phoebe grabbed her arms. "Wait, don't!"

"Phoebe, she's on Christy's side."

"I have an idea, Piper."

"And what would that be?"

Phoebe walked right up to Billie.

"Back away from my sister," Christy snarled.

"Why?" Phoebe demanded. "Afraid your plan isn't working?"

Christy backed away. "Can't let go, can you?"

"Billie, I know you can hear me," Phoebe said. "You need to snap out of this. Barbas is doing this to you. It's _your_ fear. If you can fight your fear, then it will vanquish him."

Christy's eyes widened.

"Uh huh, didn't think of that, did ya?" Piper asked, smug.

Christy went to pull Billie away.

"Not so sure of your sister anymore?" Prue asked.

Christy ignored her and pulled on Billie. Billie didn't move. "Billie!"

"Sibling issues?" Paige teased.

"Billie, come on!"

Phoebe could see Billie's neutral face turn into one of struggle. Billie wanted to go with her sister, and yet a part of her held her back.

Christy let go of her sister. "Fine, then I'll get rid of what's holding you back!" She formed a fireball in her hands.

"Fireball," Paige called, but hesitated on throwing it. Technically, Christy was still a good witch, and there was no turning back from killing one of those.

Christy simple formed another one.

"Billie, she's gonna kill us," Phoebe cried desperately. "Do something!"

Something seemed to click in Billie's head, and she shook her head. She looked at Christy. "Christy?"

"We have to kill them, now," Christy replied.

Billie looked at Phoebe. She hesitated, then said, "No."

"What?"

"I won't. I can't be on your side, I'm sorry." Tears streamed down Billie's cheeks.

Christy whirled and looked at Barbas. "You told me! You told me this plan was fool-proof."

He shrugged. "I guess I was wrong."

"You told me this was her worst fear and she couldn't overcome it!"

He brought his face closer to hers and said slowly, "_I guess I was wrong_."

"I'm not afraid of joining your side, anymore, Christy," Billie said strongly. "I'm sorry, but you're not the Christy I knew, and you're not the Christy I'm looking for."

Barbas began bursting into flames. "Oh, I'll be back… after all, 'The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear!'" He exploded, and a thick smoke filled the cavern.

When it cleared, Christy was gone.

Phoebe hugged Billie. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Billie said, trying to convince herself.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Okay, very long chapter that's taken four months to finish... I am SO sorry, I feel so bad it took this long!**_

_**Anyway, I'm pretty happy with it. I had a few earlier drafts that weren't phrased the way I wanted it, and this is as close as the way I was hoping it'd turn out...**_

_**This chapter basically got some more demons vanquished so we're *that* much closer to the big battle at the end... Stay tuned, same bat time, same bat place... hahaha**_

_**And, as usual, comments, criticism, questions, etc., are all welcome.**_

_**Also I hope everyone had a great holiday season and will have a wonderful New Year!!  
**_

_**I have another break from school in a month or so, and hopefully this means more writing time... Next up on the batting order, Gamil and the Source!**_

KateB819_**  
**_


	22. The Source of the Trap

**Sorry for taking so long with this chapter... FFN wouldn't let me log in for a few days. **

_Angelic Ami, this may sound weird but his whole speech hit me in the shower... lol. Billie definitely got brownie points when she stood up to Christy in the last episode, but I felt like the writers kind of brushed over it -- this was to show she really does have a mind of her own. I figure Piper and Prue would definitely agree on wanting to vanquish her first. And yes, I'm hoping to stick in some 'epic' battles in the later chapters._

_xLiVELiiFE, wow talk about a back-handed compliment, lmao. Piper was willing to do it before, and Prue doesn't really know Billie. Good thing the other two got them to back down, hmm?_

_jiejei1, forget about this story? NEVER. I'm intending to see this to the end. How long it will take is another question... haha. Yeah, I still watch Angel reruns (FX stopped showing Buffy a couple years ago, argh) and of course Charmed reruns when I can. Christy definitely irked me, and I am not intending to have her get a happy ending. Cole's speech came to me in the shower, don't ask... lmfao. Barbas is one of my favorite characters from the show -- I just HAD to have him in on the fun!_

_Christine Rudd, yeah the Source is in this chapter. Putting in Barbas was hard and it took a couple tries to get him in there without making it seem random and out-of-place. But it was worth it! Cole will get a decent ending, no worries. And I address Coop's 'thing' in this chapter -- it's actually what took me the longest to write this time around!_

_piperspeanut, glad to hear it was worth the wait, lol. Billie is independent now, no longer following Christy blindly. I felt like the writers rushed through this major change in the last ep, so I wanted to address this. I think Piper, for the most part, is pretty well-grounded but it doesn't hurt to have a sister help point out stuff that should be obvious but sometimes isn't._

_WelshCanuck, thanks a lot! Yeah, Billie is no longer under the influence of Christy. Good thing, huh?

* * *

_The sisters were eating dinner with Cole, Billie, Leo, Coop, and Henry. Billie had been relatively quiet the day before, which was to be expected.

With the magical war going on, it was safer for everyone to stay in one place, where there were potion ingredients and the Book of Shadow. Paige and Phoebe had gone back to their places and brought over any potion ingredients back to the manor.

Piper and Leo began cleaning up the dishes.

"We've got it," Coop said. "Phoebe and me will clean up."

Phoebe found this a bit odd but began cleaning up anyway. Coop and her both walked a stack of dishes and bowls to the kitchen.

"I want you to stop this," Coop said to Phoebe.

"Stop… taking in the dishes?" Phoebe asked, confused. "I thought when you told Piper 'Phoebe and me' you meant me and you…"

"I mean stop whatever it is you have going on with Cole."

Phoebe laughed and then when he didn't react she said, "Oh my God, are you serious?" He didn't answer. "Sweetie, there's nothing going on!"

"Really? Why did you tell him about your plan and not me?"

"Because I needed him to summon Jeric," Phoebe explained. "That's all!"

Coop still looked skeptical.

Phoebe walked closed to Coop. "Nothing is going on, I promise. I am not in love with him anymore. I am in love with _you_ and _only_ you."

"I've seen your heart," Coop said quietly. "And I don't want to doubt you. You've never given me any reason to. But I know your heart and I know how much you love him."

"If you really knew my heart, you'd know that even though I still do love him, it's all in the past."

"Is it?"

"Cole was the man of my _dreams_," Phoebe said. "But you're the man of my _life_. You are the one I chose to spend the rest of my _life_ with, not because I love you, but because when I'm with you, I feel like you know me. Cole never _saw_ my heart. Cole never _knew_ my heart. But you have. Shouldn't that be enough?"

They were silent for what seemed like en eternity.

Piper walked in, balancing several dishes on each hand. "This is you two cleaning up?" she snapped. "At this rate, nothing will be cleaned until our grandchildren are running the manor!"

"Sorry," Coop said, but Phoebe had a feeling he wasn't addressing Piper.

Piper replied, "It's okay," and put down all the dishes. "Pheebs, there's still some glasses outside, would you mind getting them? Or was Coop just pulling my leg when he said you two would clean up?"

"I'll get them," Phoebe said. She left the kitchen while Piper started running warm water over the dishes. Then screaming came from the dining room.

Coops eyes widened in alarm. "Phoebe!"

* * *

Piper had run off when Phoebe and Coop had been in the kitchen for a few minutes. "Those guys can't clean off the table to save their lives," Piper had snapped.

About a minute later, Phoebe came out to clear the rest of the dishes. Cole briefly noticed that she seemed troubled, but decided not to get up to talk to her about it. Since she had been alone in the kitchen with Coop, chances were that it was a couple issue – and Cole wasn't about to get involved with that.

Turning his attention back to the television, he was trying to focus on whatever channel Piper had turned on when a loud roaring noise erupted from the dining area. He sprang up to face the noise, just in time to see Phoebe sucked into a large portal.

"No!" he cried, shimmering to pull her to safety. When he appeared in the dining area, the portal and Phoebe were gone.

Piper and Coop came running into the dining area; Prue, Leo, Billie, Paige, and Henry flew down the stairs.

"What happened?" Billie asked.

"Phoebe just got sucked into a portal," Cole told them. "I tried to save her, but…"

"Paige, can you sense her?" Leo asked.

She closed her eyes and focused for a few seconds. "No. She's got to be in the Underworld."

"How do you know she wasn't killed?" Cole asked nervously.

"Because if someone wanted to kill her, they wouldn't need a big gaping portal to do it," Piper reasoned. "Coop, what about you? Can you summon her back?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, willing her to his side. After several seconds, nothing happened.

"It must be someone powerful, if they can block Phoebe's signal to Coop," Leo remarked.

"Damn right he is," a voice rang out from the living room. Everyone turned around. "After all, he _is_ the Source."

"Source of what?" Henry asked.

"Source of all evil," Prue answered, looking the demon in the eye. "The Source has our sister?"

"And he's willing to trade you her if you'll help him."

"With what?" Billie asked.

"Killing Christy," the demon said. The scrawny demon seemed to shrink even more than Billie thought possible at the mention of killing her sister.

"And why would you want to do that?" Cole demanded. "If Christy finds out there's a plot to kill her, she can just as easily vanquish him."

"Which is why he wants to have the Charmed Ones at his side. She'll be too distracted to go straight for him."

"And if we help him, we get our sister back?" Prue asked.

"Yes, but he wants to meet with you now." The demon didn't seem ready to take "no" for an answer.

"Group meeting in the dining room – now," Paige said. Everyone walked in. "Call me crazy, but I'm not totally hating this idea," she began.

"You're crazy," Cole supplied. "This is a trap!"

"He has our sister," Piper said.

"How do you even know this Source guy really has her?" Henry asked. "This has 'trap' written all over it."

"Actually, it has 'Save sister' written all over it," Piper replied.

"I don't like it," Leo said. "Prue, what do you think?" Piper gave him a dirty look.

"We don't have a chance to start leaving sisters behind just because it _might_ be a trap. I think it's a trap, but what choice do we have, Leo?"

Leo didn't have an answer.

"Take us to your leader," Piper said to the demon. Prue, Billie, and Piper held Paige's hands as they followed the demon to the Underworld…

* * *

"I don't like this," Cole said.

"Maybe you should go with them?" Henry suggested.

"I don't think so," a voice said from behind them.

"Gamil!" Leo realized but it was too late. Gamil had already zapped the others with his wand, Leo diving out of the way. In one kick of his foot, the others were unconscious.

Leo scrambled to his feet, ready to fight Gamil. He kicked the wand out of Gamil's hand, slightly surprising himself. Sensing he was losing the fight, Gamil grabbed the miniature men and teleported out before Leo could make another move.

Leo looked around the empty room. _Great, now what_?

* * *

"I told you guys it was a trap," Prue whispered.

"Shut it," Christy commanded.

"Christy, let us out," Billie begged in vain.

"I said, be quiet!" Christy yelled. "Or do you want me to silence you?"

Billie didn't say another word.

"I can't believe you guys came for me without a back-up plan," Phoebe said. "But, uh, didn't it kind of have 'trap' tattooed to its forehead?"

"We didn't have any other choice," Prue explained.

A slight shimmer revealed Gamil.

"Who's that?" Prue and Billie asked at the same time.

"Gamil," Paige answered. "But if he's here, then that means—"

"Where do you want them?" he asked Christy.

"Do I look like I care? Throw them somewhere where I won't hear their squeaking."

"Who have you got there?" Piper demanded, her heart beating faster.

"Who do you think?" Christy snapped.

Gamil shrunk a bit. "Actually, Christy, there was a bit of an accident…"

"What kind of accident?" She did not look happy.

"The one that used to be a Whitelighter… he recognized me and knocked the wand from my hand so I took them and ran."

"You did _what_? You mean, you _missed one_?!"

Piper tried to hide the smile on her lips.

Christy turned around and gave Piper an icy glare. "Oh, you think you've won, don't you? Well, don't forget – you and your sisters and Billie are trapped in a power-proof cage. And anyone else that has powers are going to be trapped in a power-proof box. Leo can't defend himself – not for long, anyway." Christy stood there, scowling. "Go after him," she commanded the Source.  
"Surely there is something _better_ I can do with my time," he snarled, "than go after a measly mortal."

"Did I stutter, you insolent dolt? Go after the damn human!" The Source didn't move. She glared at him. "If you don't go," she said, her voice eerily cheery, "then I will take your thick skull and smash it so hard against the rock wall that the _other_ half of your face will get disfigured as well!" The fire burning in her eyes made it evident she was not joking around.

The Source raised his chin, looked her in the eye, and left.

Christy closed her eyes and sighed in relief. "Now, was that so hard?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Okay, this chapter was hard to write... Mostly because of school and hockey and life in general, but also because the opening to scene with Coop and Phoebe went through about 5 re-writes. I'm still not sure I'm completely happy with the way it is, but if I keep playing around with it, I might eventaully go crazy (if I haven't already, haha).**_

_**Apologies for the long delay, I know this story is taking forever to finish. I have NOT forgotten about -- I am determined to see this one to the end. Nothing pisses me off more (as a reader) than when an author starts a story and doesn't finish it.**_

_**Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me this long, and to any new readers who may be lurking out there.**_

_**Next on the list is HOPEFULLY Zankou and perhaps some help from a couple of handsome men from the future...**_

_**If you have any comments, suggestions, complaints, questions, or anything else you feel like putting out there, don't hesitate to type it out!**_

KateB819**  
**


	23. The Visitors

_Angelic Ami, don't worry, Leo will be fine. Thanks for your comment!_

_LadyCizzle, yeah, and Rose was great in Scream! I've wanted to write a Buffy/Charmed cross-over, but I don't have any original ideas yet. Until then, one chapter with Spike will have to do... haha. Thanks for commenting!_

_jiejei1, thanks so much, I'm glad you liked it. Phoebe gets some advice on what to do about Coop in this chapter, so it's all good._

_piperspeanut, I'm glad you think it was written just right! And you won't have to wait too long to find out who the two guys from the future are... And I loved Cole and Phoebe, but I don't want to be predictable and put them back together when she seemed so happy with Coop at the end of S8. Thanks for commenting!_

_charmedgirl-alyssaphoebe, thanks, I like doing somehting different. Thanks for your comment._

_charmedprincess22, wow, thanks! I hope it's a GOOD episode playing in your mind, haha._

* * *

Leo was in the boys' bedroom. After all, where else would be a better place to be if you're a powerless mortal and the worst evils of the universe were after you? _Wyatt may be a young toddler, but he's the most powerful force of good the world has ever seen_…

Leo was watching Wyatt play with his toys. "Where's Mommy?" Wyatt asked.

The thought of telling his oldest son that a bunch of demons had his mommy and aunts hostage broke Leo's heart. "Daddy's working on it, buddy," Leo said. He hated holding the truth from people, but certain things should not be said.

"Mommy promised us she'd take me and Chris to the park soon," Wyatt said, absent-mindedly pushing his truck back and forth.

"I-I don't think today's a good day to go to the park, Wyatt." Leo sighed. "Wyatt?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me that if I go missing, you will take care of Chris." He looked into his little boy's eyes, knowing he was asking the world of a child who was barely four.

"Of course," Wyatt replied.

"Thanks." He hugged Wyatt tightly. Leo looked across the room at baby Chris, who seemed content with the fact that his daddy had just brought him a bottle of warm milk. He thought about calling Victor, but there wasn't much sense in getting another mortal involved.

"How sweet," a voice rang out. Leo looked up to see Gamil with two demonic henchmen with him. "The boys, please."

One of the demons was larger than the other; he was extremely muscular and tall. The other was tall as well, but slimmer. The latter flung a fireball at them. Wyatt orbed, taking him and Leo across the room to Chris. Leo was pleasantly surprised Wyatt had the sense and reflexes to do so. The larger of the demons threw another fireball at them, but Wyatt threw up his shield.

"You can't keep this up forever, Leo."

"He doesn't have to," a different voice said. Leo looked in the doorway to see an adult Wyatt and an adult Chris. Chris smiled. "I don't think you should've pissed off Wy."

* * *

"This is going nowhere," Prue said, gripping the bars impatiently.

"Rock," Paige called. The rock orbed towards the cage, but once against shattered within a foot of the magic-proof cage. "Stupid rock."

Phoebe, Piper, and Billie were sitting on the floor. Christy had left a few minutes ago with her entourage of demons. "Don't yell at the poor rock," Piper scolded lightly. "The rock didn't put us in here."

"No, my whack-job of a sister did," Billie sighed. "I'm sorry about this, guys."

"Hey, you guys came because of me, remember? If I hadn't gotten myself snatched on my way back to the kitchen—"

"What happened in there, anyway?" Piper asked Phoebe.

"In where?"

"The kitchen… before I walked in. Were you and Coop fighting?"

Phoebe sighed. "He was convinced I still have feelings for Cole."

"Do you?" Paige asked.

"I don't know. I mean, I don't think our relationship can really go anywhere… And I love Coop with all my heart. But a part of me wonders, sometimes."

Piper put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Pheebs, remember what Grams used to say about men being like a box of chocolates?"

"Uhm… take what you want and then throw them away?"

Piper laughed. "No."

"Get one on Valentine's Day and then throw them out the day after?" Prue joked.

"No!" Piper rolled her eyes. "I meant on the one day where she wasn't cynical."

"Oh… well, then, no." Phoebe grinned at Piper.

"Ha, she was probably drunk when she said this, but… One time, she told us that some men come as a full box of chocolates, and some men come as an empty box of chocolates. So, for argument's sake, let's say Coop is a full box of chocolates and that Cole is an empty one."

"I'm not getting it," Phoebe said.

"Look," Piper said, "Cole is your empty box of chocolates. You're not gonna get anything else out of it. You're just gonna open the box thinking you're going to get all this chocolate, but you're just going to wind up being disappointed. Coop, on the other hand, is a box full of chocolate. You have so many options with it. You can eat all the chocolate now, you can eat some and save the others for later, or you can save them all for later. But you have more choices."

"But what if I'm more attached to the empty box of chocolates?"

"Maybe you're not being fair to the full box of chocolates," Paige pointed out. "You only got this box less than a year ago. You had the empty box for a few years."

"True."

"Well, I am so glad you guys can gossip about boys," Christy said. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but as we're speaking, Gamil is killing Leo."

"He'll have to get past Wyatt, first. Wyatt won't let anything happen to his father." Or so Piper hoped.

* * *

Gamil looked at the two strange men. "Who are you?" he asked. Christy had said that the only people still around were Leo and the boys.

"I believe you were just threatening my father," adult Wyatt said.

"Your father…?" Gamil swallowed. "You're from the future?"

"Wow, Wy, this guy's batting a thousand," Chris said.

"Where is our mother?" Adult Wyatt asked.

"Around."

The demon henchman sprang into action, and Wyatt raised his arms, sending two waves of energy and vanquishing them with ease.

Chris grabbed Gamil and pinned him against the wall. "Want to try again?"

"She's in the Underworld," Gamil said.

Chris pulled him away and pushed him against the wall again, harder this time. "And more specifically?"

Gamil opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly he burst into flames. Chris let go just in time to avoid getting his hands scalded by the flames. Wyatt and Chris looked at the scorch mark on the wall in disbelief.

"Wy, did you do that?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Sure, blame me for everything."

* * *

Christy slammed the table. "Dammit, he almost gave us away."

"That weasel couldn't be trusted," Zankou said. "All he could do was make creepy figurines, anyway."

"So what the hell do you suggest?" she snapped.

"I say we do what you tried to do. Use the Hollow. Except this time, take the sisters' powers and use them against Wyatt and Chris."

"Fine. I'll use the Hollow and then kill them afterwards."

"No, let me use it. We need the sisters as bait. And you can distract the brothers long enough for me to kill them and take their powers, too."

"How do I know you won't kill me, too?"

"You can take the powers for yourself. I only want the sisters dead… after we take care of our visitors."

* * *

"Anyway, Odin called us up there and said that it was our time to go back in time to the past – the present for you – and help out with something. Apparently things were being added to the Grand Design that shouldn't have been happening." Chris was sitting on the couch next to Wyatt in the living room. Leo was sitting on the coffee table, where little Wyatt and little Chris were playing with some toys.

"Are happening and shouldn't be," Wyatt corrected.

"Whatever," Chris said, cutting his eyes at Wyatt. "So we cast a spell to bring us back, and here we are."

"What happened, dad? None of this is supposed to be happening," Wyatt asked.

"Apparently, the Angel of Death screwed up, and let Christy's soul go free."

"Auntie Billie's sister, Christy?" Chris asked.

"Yeah. So to help us out he also released Auntie Prue's soul. But Christy got the Necromancer to resurrect a bunch of demons."

"Sounds like you guys could use some help," Wyatt said.

"Yeah. I don't have any powers anymore, so I can't really charge into the Underworld by myself…"

Prue appeared in her astral-form. She blinked in surprise. "Wow, I can't believe that finally worked!"

"Prue, thank God," Leo said. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're okay… The girls and I are trapped in a magic-proof cage, and the others have been miniaturized and locked in a box. Why does my astral projection power still work?"

"Well, astral projection works on a different plane than ours. It's possible the magic-proof cage only works on our plane."

"Oh, well that makes sense." Prue looked at Wyatt and Chris. "Who are these guys?"

"We're Wyatt and Chris from the future," Chris replied. "We're here to help."

"Wow, that's gr—" Prue disappeared.

* * *

Prue woke up. "What happened?"

"They took our powers with the Hollow, that's what," Paige said. "What's going on?"

"Wyatt and Chris form the future came by. I guess they vanquished Gamil."

"That's all they're gonna be vanquishing," Christy sneered. "Zankou, go ahead. We've got some witches from the future to dispose of."

"If you hurt them, I will kill you! I don't care if I have to come back from the dead to do it." Piper gripped the bars.

"Don't be so melodramatic," Christy snapped. "But feel free to cry when Zankou kills your sons with their own powers."

* * *

"Where'd she go?" Chris asked.

"Maybe Christy woke Prue up," Leo guessed, sitting down on the couch.

"I hope that's the case," Wyatt said, getting off the couch. "Lemme try sensing for mom."

"Knock yourself out," Chris said. He sat down next to Leo. "You look great, dad."

"Thanks."

Just then, little Chris stumbled and lightly hit his head on the table, and began to cry.

"That explains the permanent brain damage you have, doesn't it, Chris?" Wyatt teased.

"At least I have one," he teased back.

Little Wyatt went over and healed little Chris, who had a tiny cut on his head. Little Chris stopped crying.

"Wow, story of my life," Wyatt said, laughing.

"Yeah, because _you're_ not clumsy," Chris replied. "I seem to remember someone accidentally orbing their diploma at their college graduation."

Leo laughed. "Looks like I'm going to have my hands full with this magic stuff."

Wyatt smiled and closed his eyes, trying to focus on finding Piper.

"You want to find your mother?" Zankou asked, appearing near the staircase.

"Zankou!" Leo sprang to his feet.

Wyatt went to hurl an energy ball at him, but Zankou said, "Ah, watch it. If you want to rescue your mother and the others, you'll need to follow me."

* * *

Wyatt and Chris orbed into a cavern in the Underworld. Leo had insisted on coming along, but Wyatt pointed out that Leo had no powers.

"Besides," Chris had reasoned, "who's going to protect little Wy and little me?"

"The Underworld really hasn't changed," Wyatt observed.

"Look!" Chris pointed. There, on the other side of the dark cavern, was a massive cage. "Mom!"

The girls jumped up. "Chris, Wyatt, get out of here!" Piper cried.

Zankou shimmered in behind the brothers.

"Behind you!" Paige yelled. Wyatt whirled around and formed an energy ball in his hand.

"No! It's a trap!" Phoebe warned. But it was too late, Wyatt had already thrown it. Zankou absorbed the energy ball. He hurled one back at Wyatt, who was defenseless now and went flying into the wall.

Zankou turned to face Chris. He threw an energy ball at him, but Chris used his powers to direct it back at him. He tried to throw Zankou against the wall, but his power wouldn't work.

Zankou flung Chris into the wall. He turned to the cave. "Watch as I kill your precious Wyatt and Chris," he said, cackling.

Piper felt tears come to her eyes as she stood in a cage, powerless to watch Zankou attack her sons.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_Wow, I am so sorry it took me this long. A lot of stuff's been coming up, and I had an insane case of writer's block. Then at midnight I got inspired and started writing, and two chapters came out. The next one is being put up, as well. I hope you enjoy both!  
_**

KateB819


	24. Messing Something Up

Wyatt got back up, only for Zankou to blow him back with Piper's power.

"Don't use your powers, he'll steal them," Billie told him.

"Excalibur," Wyatt called for.

"I was hoping you'd do that," Zankou grinned. "I've always wanted to behead a witch." A sword materialized in his hands.

Wyatt thrust forward with the sword, which Zankou dodged. Wyatt went to slash at his legs, but Zankou used Phoebe's levitation power to evade the attack, and brought his sword down at Wyatt, who parried it and kicked Zankou in the torso.

Paige, with the others, watched as the battle continued. Chris was trying to break open the lock to the cage, which was more or less a standard lock.

"Do a lot of lock-picking in the future?" Phoebe asked, half-amused.

"You're the one who taught me," Chris answered, giving a small chuckle.

"Why am I not surprised?" Piper said, cutting her eyes at Phoebe.

Paige grabbed Phoebe. "I have an idea," she said. "You can still summon Coop to your side, right?"

"I guess, but I'm not sure he can pick a lock."

"Forget about the lock." She looked around. In the next cavern, the box that contained the Hollow was sitting on Christy's lap, open. Christy was watching the battle. "Summon him to the cage."

"Magic can't go in or out of the cage, remember?"

"Yeah, but if Prue's astral projection worked because it functions on a different plane, then maybe this will work. This connection could work off a different plane from ours, too."

"It's worth a try," Phoebe conceded. She closed her eyes and willed Coop to her side. She felt a glow around her heart, a warmth that coursed through her veins, filling her body. It was pure and true love, and it was willing to do her bidding. She concentrated on the warmth, wishing with all her might that Coop was next to her.

"How'd I get here?" Coop's voice asked.

Phoebe opened her eyes to see Coop standing next to her foot, the size of the heel of her shoe. "Hey, honey." She picked him up in her hands carefully and brought him to eye level. "You okay?"

"Well, I'll never complain I'm too short ever again," he said. "But other than that, I'm fine."

"Wait, the inscription needs to be read by evil and good," Paige reminded.

"Fine. I'm going to will you back to where you were. Grab Cole and tell him to shimmer to the outside of the cage, and you come back, too."

In a couple minutes, Cole was standing outside the cage with Coop.

"Okay. Do you see that box over there, on Christy's lap?"

"Yeah."

"We need you to run over there and read the inscription. But be careful, don't get noticed by Christy."

"Chris, why don't you try casting a cloaking spell?" Piper suggested.

"Sounds good." Chris stood there for a moment.

"_Aid these men in a disguise_

_Unseen by Christy's watching eyes_"

Coop and Cole disappeared from sight. "Lemme orb you guys in," Chris said.

He used his powers to orb them with a wave of his hand into the box. Christy saw the brief glow and looked down. When she saw nothing, she shrugged and went back to watching.

But in a few moments, thousands of bee-like energy flowed from Zankou, releasing the powers back to its rightful owners. Wyatt knocked Zankou down, and threw an energy ball at the lock. The sisters and Billie stepped out of the cage.

"No!" Christy cried, getting out of her chair.

Zankou started to shimmer out, but Piper used her exploding power to stun him for a few seconds. Wyatt walked up to him, Excalibur still in hand. "I've always wanted to behead a demon," he sneered.

In one fluid motion, Zankou's head separated from his body and burst into flames.

"Where'd Christy go?" Prue asked.

"She must've escaped again," Billie sighed.

"We'll get her eventually," Paige said.

"In the meantime, let's go. Bianca's waiting for me at the house to leave for our date."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Fine, let's go. Typical Chris – we just save the past, present, and future, and all you can think about is your girlfriend."

"Actually, I was looking more forward to dinner," Chris replied, and everyone laughed.

* * *

"Thank you again for everything," Piper said, squeezing Chris. "You were both amazing."

"I guess I have to teach you how to pick a lock better," Phoebe said to Chris.

"Actually, Chris is just incapable of learning everything," Wyatt laughed. "Teaching him to orb took **forever**."

"Sorry, some of us weren't born with powers in the womb," Chris snapped.

"Alright, stop your bickering. Back to the future, you two," Leo scolded lightly, hugging Wyatt.

The portal was already open, and Wyatt and Chris walked toward it. Looking back once more, they stepped through, and the portal closed.

"Too bad I couldn't spend more time with them," Prue said. "They look like they grow up to be two great men."

"I miss them already," Paige said.

And then another portal opened, and Chris and Wyatt stepped back through with Bianca.

"We messed something up," Chris said.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_And that's where we leave off... Yeah, don't you hate me, now?_**

**_I hope you all enjoyed the last couple of chapters. Wyatt and Chris are two of my favorite characters, so I definitely had to add them in. And I am SO sorry about not being able to finish these earlier. I had a bad case of writer's block -- I actually got it again right after I finished the 24th chapter, haha._**

**_As usual, any questions, comments, threatening comments, whatever - feel free to write them down!_**

**_Until next time,_**

KateB819


	25. What is today, but tomorrow's yesterday?

_Snoupy1972, no problem, I never mind answering questions. I guess the only explanation I have -- which is not a great one, I'll concede -- is that my was the part of the story when my massive writer's block hit. I will include an explanation in this chapter to clear things up. Sorry about the confusion..._

_piperspeanut, your comments honestly made my day... haha I couldn't stop laughing when I saw them! I hope this (long-ish) chapter is worth the wait._

_Ollie912, thank you for your comment._

_missypaige06, I'll see what I can do with more Paige and Henry. From here on, though, I think it's gonna be mainly Christy vs. The Sisters. But I will try my best._

_kcbelles, I think my main problems is revision. I try my best to find mistakes and my brother is the only other editor I have. I will try to be more careful regarding grammar mistakes. Thanks for your comment, it was very constructive!_

_

* * *

_**Author's Note: _Because older Wyatt and younger Wyatt are both mentioned a lot in this chapter. when I am referring to the older one I will use "Wy" and when I am referring to the younger one, it will be "Wyatt." The characters, however, will refer to the older one as both. Hope it doesn't get too confused, and I apologize if it does._**

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* * *

  
**

**Future, 2028, 1329 Prescott Street**

Wy and Chris walked through the time portal.

"Oh my God, what the hell happened?" Chris gasped at the sight in front of him. They had walked from their living room in 2006 into a large, empty piece of land. "Where's the manor?"

"Maybe the portal sent us to another location?" Wy proposed. They turned around to see the entire area was vacant. "Lemme try orbing with the manor as my destination."

Wy orbed and re-materialized in the same spot. "Dammit."

"Auntie Paige!" Chris called, his heart beginning to race. _What had happened?_

Wy closed his eyes. "I can't sense any of them," Wy murmured after a few seconds.

"What do you mean? Like, they're in the Underworld, or…?" his voice trailed off.

"I mean, I can't sense them, as in they're not alive," Wy replied softly. "Something must've changed when we went back."

Chris began to panic. "Odin!" he cried. When there was no reply, he tried calling again.

Five demons shimmered around them.

Wy hurled two energy balls and killed two of them, and Chris threw one demon into the other.

The third demon backhanded Wy hard, temporarily knocking him out. The three demons circled around Chris.

Bianca shimmered and grabbed one demon, a knife materializing in her hand. She vanquished one. Another demon knocked the knife from her hand, so she threw an energy ball at him. She turned and did the same to the last demon.

"Bianca," Chris said, happy to see his fiancé. She was clad in a black leather top and dark navy blue jeans. She was wearing black heels. "It's great to see—"

"Are you crazy?" she demanded. Wy had regained consciousness and stood up shakily.

"What's going on?"

"Why the hell would you two come here? Do you guys have a death wish?"

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked.

Bianca looked confused. "What do you mean, what am I talking about? You think the Avatars aren't watching this location? Getting sentimental is no reason to get your asses vanquished!"

"Avatars? What are you talking about?"

* * *

**Present, 2006, The Underworld**

"We have to do something to stop the Charmed Ones," Beta declared.

"Christy is working on that," Alpha replied.

"Not fast enough. She is too headstrong – she's going to get herself vanquished again, just like last time."

"What do you propose we do?" Gamma asked.

"What happened to the Hollow?" Alpha wondered. "We could use that."

"Christy dropped the box during her escape. I believe the Charmed Ones gave it back to the Guardians."

"Good, let's get it back."

* * *

"We need your help," Phoebe said to the Guardians.

"How can we possibly help you?" The Evil Guardian asked.

"We need to borrow the Hollow again, or Christy will win."

"Impossible," Evil replied. "The Hollow is not a library book for people to borrow!"

"We helped get it back after you guys lost it to her. Can't you just do this to pay us back?"

"It doesn't work that way," Good explained. "I understand the position you're in—"

Phoebe inhaled sharply. "No," she said. She changed forms, shape-shifting into Alpha. Alpha shot a bolt of energy into both Guardians. "No, you really don't."

* * *

Christy was fuming. "That's it, no more screwing around," she seethed.

"Calm down," Demetrius, one of the Titans, said.

"No, I will _not_ calm down!" she yelled. "I want you two to take care of them. I don't care what it takes. I don't care if you have to round up every demon in the Underworld. I want them all dead." Christy began to leave.

"Even Billie?" Cronus asked.

Christy stopped. "I'm not ordering for you to go directly after her. But if she gets killed in the cross-fires, I wouldn't be too heart-broken." She walked out.

"You heard her, Demetrius. Let's—"

"Is Christy sending you two out?" Gamma asked, teleporting in.

"Yes," Demetrius answered.

Alpha teleported into the chamber. "I highly doubt that." His eyes were black.

"Oh, really?" Cronus hurled an electric bolt at Alpha. Alpha absorbed the bolt.

"Really."

**

* * *

Present, 2006, 1329 Prescott Street**

"…and the Avatars then took the Titans' powers." Bianca finished. "After that, they took the Charmed Ones out. Ever since then, Billie was looking after the boys as the Avatars killed everyone. A small resistance formed, but it's lost more magical beings than gained."

"And you're part of it?"

"Yes, I lead it with Wy and Chris." She looked at Chris. "But yesterday, you disappeared… and then you guys came back and I find you two standing right where the Avatars are sure to find you."

"We must've changed the future somehow."

"Either way, your future is bound to change. Because the Angel of Death brought back souls that weren't supposed to be in the design anymore, the whole design has been rearranged," Leo explained. "Nothing's going according to plan."

"Yeah, but if it's going to change, I want it to be for the better," Piper replied.

"I have a question. A bit delayed, and not really pertaining to this whole Avatar-situation… but how was it that we were able to change the men back without Gamil's wand?" Paige asked.

"Yeah, how was it that Cole was able to shimmer out? Wasn't that box Christy put them in magic-proof?" Prue asked.

"The box was not meant to keep magic on or out," Cole replied. "We could have left at any time, but there was no point in Coop or me leaving it because we'd probably get squished. We needed a plan, first."

"Since we were the ones trapped in a magic-proof cage, Cole wouldn't be able to get to us," Phoebe explained. "Coop's teleporting power by itself works on our plane, but my being able to drawing Coop to me does not."

"Gamil's magic works differently this time because he was resurrected, which is why we were simply able to turn you guys back to normal size through a spell and didn't require the wand. His magic was weakened," Leo clarified.

Sandra, the Elder, orbed in. "We have bad news," she said ominously.

"Of course you do!" Piper snapped.

"Do you ever come with us with _good_ news?" Phoebe asked.

"The Guardians of the Hollow have been killed."

"Again?" Paige was shocked. "This is the third pair in the last few years."

"Good luck hiring the next pair," Phoebe commented.

"This is serious. We have no idea who did it, or why—"

"We know who did it, Sandra," Wy cut in. "It was the Avatars."

"If they killed the Guardians already," Chris observed, "then that means they probably already took the Titans' powers."

Alpha, Gamma, and Beta teleported into the manor. "You're very astute," Alpha said.

"I thought you guys were supposed to be more neutral than evil," Piper said.

"Losing will do that to you," Alpha replied. A large surge of energy flowed from his arms at Piper.

"NO!" Wy cried, jumping in front of Piper and activating his protective shield. "Let's get out of here!" He grabbed Piper and orbed her out. Chris orbed Leo and Prue out. Bianca grabbed little Wyatt and little Chris and shimmered out. Cole also shimmered out, with Phoebe, and Coop followed them. Paige orbed with Henry and Billie.

"We have them on the run," Beta said, grinning.

* * *

Wy orbed into the cavern with the Book of Shadows. "They didn't realize I went back," he said.

"Great, now Christy has us hiding in the Underworld – _again_," Paige sighed.

"I dunno, I don't think this was Christy's idea. I think she's aiming more to kill us, not have us hiding in the Underworld…" Billie observed.

"What are we going to do? The Avatars are virtually indestructible," Prue asked.

"Alpha still had those black eyes, which means he still has the Hollow in him. Attacking him with our powers is out of the question. And who knows what they did with the box," Cole added.

"I don't get what we did wrong," Chris sighed.

Wy put the Book down. "If we had never went back, the box never would have went back to the Guardians and the Avatars wouldn't have been able to get to it."

"But if you had never come here, we all would've been dead, so isn't it a moot point either way?" Billie pointed out.

"Well, that's why this whole thing with the Angel of Death and Christy screws everything up," Leo explained. "It's changed everyone's destinies. It's like the old paths were erased and new ones were added in."

"Then we have absolutely no guarantee that this whole thing is going to turn out okay," Piper replied.

"Now isn't the time to give up," Wy said. "We can turn this around."

"Why are you so optimistic?" Prue asked him.

"Our mom is an optimist," Chris answered.

"Piper? An optimist?" Prue laughed.

"I reacted the same way," Paige commented.

"Yeah, yeah," Piper said, waving her hand at her sisters. "But Wyatt's right. We can't afford to give up now." She looked down at her young sons. "Not for their sake."

"How will we fight them?" Bianca asked. "They couldn't be defeated in the future; what makes you think they can be defeated now?"

"How does an optimistic man fall in love with a pessimistic woman?" Leo asked.

"You're one to ask," Prue said, and Piper gave her a playful smack.

"Wy's the optimistic one," Chris explained. "I'm not quite sure how I turned out so negative," he said, laughing.

"I have an idea," Leo said. "What if we do that spell that you guys used to find a lost sister, and this time switch the word for "box"? We could take the box, read the inscription, and then you guys would be free to attack them."

"I love that idea," Prue said. "But aren't they still all-powerful?"

"We have Wy on our side," Chris said. "That should be more than enough."

"We can take them by surprise by luring them out, and then once they're here, we read the inscription and attack," Paige proposed.

"Great idea," Prue said. "But who's going to be the bait?"

* * *

"Hey, Dad," Piper said when Victor opened the door. "Can you watch Wyatt and Chris for me?"

"Sure," he said, "what's the problem?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," she said. "Just send them off to bed and everything will be fine."

She knelt down next to Wyatt. "Sweetie, mommy bought you a new toy." She pulled a small ball out of her pocket and placed it in his hands. "Be good for grandpa and look after Chris, okay?"

"Okay," he said, and walked into Victor's apartment with Chris.

"Be careful," he said as Piper turned to walk away.

"I will."

Victor sighed and closed the door. He had found out all those years ago about the life his daughters would have, and he couldn't handle it. How could any parent handle knowing the fact that at any given moment, their children could be stripped away?

So he had walked away, leaving his family for years. The girls, especially Prue, resented their father for leaving. But in recent years, he had learned to more or less to accept the cards his girls had been dealt. He had been an understanding father and a loving grandfather.

"Grandpa, Chris is sleepy," Wyatt said.

"Well, why don't you guys go to bed? I'll come in a bit to tuck you two in."

"Okay," Wyatt said, walking off with Chris.

Wyatt orbed Chris onto his crib and then Wyatt orbed onto his bed, holding the ball his mother had handed him. It was a glowing yellow sphere and somewhat see-through. He hadn't seen his mom go anywhere to buy it for him, but he _had_ seen his mom and aunts holding it and chanting something. As he wondered what they had chanted, Alpha teleported in.

"What a fine addition your powers will make to my collection," he said, a grin forming.

The other Avatars teleported in. "After you take his powers," Gamma pressed, "you're sharing the powers and then we're going after the Charmed Ones, right?"

Wyatt put up his shield.

Alpha ignored Gamma and touched the shield with his hand, absorbing the power.

"Like taking powers from a baby," Phoebe said as she and Cole entered the room. Phoebe was carrying the box, and opened it. They began to read the inscription:

"_Aboleo exitum cavium_…"

Beta hurled an energy ball at them. Wy orbed in and deflected the energy ball, which smashed into a lamp. "Keep reading!"

"…_Du eternas_!"

* * *

Victor heard a smash come from the boys' room. He wasn't quite sure what he would do once he got in there, but he abandoned all reason and ran towards the room. Paige orbed in front of the door with Piper.

"The boys! I heard—"

"It's fine, dad," Piper said, "we've got it covered."

"What do you mean?"

Coop teleported in, and Chris orbed in with Leo and Prue.

"We're using Wyatt and Chris as bait for the Avatars. Older Wyatt, Phoebe, and Cole have it covered," Prue answered.

"What is going on?" Victor asked.

"The sisters cast a spell on the ball Piper gave Wyatt to lure the Avatars to him," Leo explained.

"Phoebe and Cole are reading the inscription to put the Hollow back, and hopefully Future Wyatt can hold his own," Coop finished.

Victor had no idea what they were talking about, but he figured they would explain better later.

* * *

The powers left Alpha, returning to its rightful owners. Realizing they were beginning to lose, they tried to teleport out.

"Do you like the Power of Four spell we used to keep you guys in?" Phoebe sneered.

Alpha yelled in frustration and flung an energy ball at her. It hit her and sent her flying into the wall.

"Phoebe!" Cole cried, running to her side.

"Enough," Wy growled. A powerful wave of energy flowed from his hands, knocking the Avatars.

"They're too powerful for that," Cole said, looking up while trying to rouse Phoebe.

"I can see that," Wy said as the Avatars got back up. The each threw energy balls at him, but he orbed to safety. He orbed back in, this time with Excalibur in his hands. He thrust the sword through Gamma and Beta's chests, and beheaded Alpha.

"Wow," Cole said. He looked back down. "Wyatt, heal Phoebe!"

Wyatt dropped to her side and healed her as everyone else entered the room.

"Is she okay?" Coop asked.

"Yeah," Wyatt said.

Phoebe opened her eyes. "Did we win?"

"We won this one," Chris said.

* * *

"I hate it when you guys have to leave," Piper said. Once again, they were gathered in the attic, prepared to say farewell to Chris and Wy.

"I know, Mom… I hate having to leave," Wy replied.

"Hopefully, this time, we don't wind up in an empty lot," Chris said. "Unless you guys are planning on moving sometime in the next twenty years?"

Leo and Piper looked at each other. "And have to move all this junk out? No, thanks," Piper laughed.

The good-bye hugging ritual, which seemed to get harder each time it was done, began. Piper hugged both her sons and got to Bianca. "I'm sure you're going to make a great daughter-in-law," she said, giving her a hug.

"Wait, won't she have the wrong set of memories?" Paige asked.

"I'm sure they can do a spell to change it back to the right set," Phoebe suggested.

"Or maybe it would change with the new timeline," Prue proposed.

Victor looked confused. "But then, wouldn't Wyatt and Chris have had the new memories when they went back before?"

"Time-traveling is so confusing," Henry said. "At least I'm not the only one who seems to be having problems with it!"

"I'm sure they'll figure something out," Coop chuckled.

Bianca, Wy, and Chris walked to the center of a ring of candles.

"Good luck with everything, guys," Bianca said. "I'm sure everything will turn out just fine."

"I'm glad someone has faith in us," Billie teased.

Prue, Phoebe, Paige, and Piper read off the spell:

_Family in the future, family in the past,_

_Seeing anew what once had passed:_

_Return them now from whence they came -_

_Right when they left, all now the same_

The three vanished from sight in a beautiful shower of white lights.

"Think we got it right this time?" Billie asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Phoebe said. Everyone stared at the spot where they had been standing.

After a few moments, Cole finally cleared his throat.

"Can't be too sure," Phoebe said lightly.

"Who's hungry?" Piper asked.

"I think we all are," Victor answered. "But from what I've been hearing, no ice cream for Cole."

"What?" Cole asked.

"Nothing," Paige and Prue answered at the same time.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_Apologies for how long it took to get this one up. I had most of it written but between exams and my grandma going into the hospital, I got stuck and couldn't finish it. Now that school's basically done, HOPEFULLY I should be able to get them up more regularly. Bear with me, the story has a few chapters left!_**

**_As usual, don't hesitate to tell me about any problems you found while reaing, any advice, criticism, questions, or requests. I will do my best to address them all. Thank you for reading!_**

KateB819


	26. Christy Pulls A Fast One

_kcbelles, thanks for your comment. My grandma is now on the road to recovery, thank God. I've been visiting her almost every day, but I'm writing whenever I can._

_lizardmomma, I never liked Alpha, either. I would've had his death more drawn out and gruesome but it didn't seem to go with the overall tone of the rest of the story. Thanks, my Grandma is getting better..._

_piperspeanut, bwahahahahaha. That's all, lol._

_allenkandathebestXD, thanks for your comment._

_Angelic Ami, haha, that sucks... I guess it's a good thing my story is keeping your mind off of the heat? Hope it cools down soon... Thanks for leaving a comment! I'm glad I can make you laugh. Maybe after this one I can try something with Wyatt and Chris... who knows?_

_Sarra Torrens, thanks a lot for your comment, I appreciate it!!  
_

* * *

A few days had passed since the Avatars and Titans were vanquished. The girls had gone through every idea they had to find Christy.

"Let's face it," Prue said. "The girl just doesn't want to be found."

"We'll find her," Phoebe said, although she didn't even convince herself.

"How, Pheebs?" Piper demanded. "We've scried for her and sent Cole all over the Underworld looking for her."

"Even the Elders are looking for her, and we've got every witch and magical being looking for her, too," Paige pointed out.

"This is hopeless," Prue declared.

Billie, Coop, Henry, and Leo entered the attic, where the sisters were venting their frustration.

"Billie had an idea," Leo said.

Cole shimmered in. "Good, because I'm running out of ideas."

Billie cleared her throat. "Why don't you guys try a Power of Four spell?"

"What kind of spell?" Piper asked.

"Like a locator spell. Use me to find her."

"How?" Prue asked.

"I'm her sister. We have a connection."

There was a pause as the sisters thought about the plan. "I like it," Paige finally said. "No harm in trying."

"Then, let's do it," Phoebe said, grabbing a pen and paper.

* * *

"_Use the Power of Four_

_And the connection of Billie_

_To find her sister Christy_"

The crystal remained stationary for a few moments, but then began to sway in the air slightly. Piper was holding the crystal in one hand, and was holding Phoebe's hand in the other. Phoebe was holding onto Paige's, who was also holding onto Prue's hand. Prue was holding Billie's hand. Piper held the crystal over a vague map of the Underworld. It wasn't much, but it was all they had.

The crystal finally flew out of Piper's hand and across the room. It landed on another map.

"Where did it land?" Prue asked. Billie ran over to the map and blanched. It was the map they usually use for scrying.

"What is it?" Henry asked.

"She's at the house where we grew up," Billie replied. "A family bought it a little while ago, though…"

"That means they're in danger," Cole surmised. "Let's go." He started to shimmer out, but Phoebe grabbed him.

"Hold on. What if it's a trap?"

"Phoebe, if we treat everything like it could be a trap, we'd never get anything done," Piper snapped. She grabbed Paige's hand. "Now, let's get with the orbing!"

Paige let go. "Piper, she's right. Christy's not stupid. Evil, but not stupid. We do have to treat everything like it's a trap."

Piper gave an exasperated sigh. "So what do you suggest?"

Prue spoke up. "Why don't the five of us go, and Cole stays here?"

Cole gave her a dirty look.

"I'm serious. If something happens to us, we need some serious firepower to back us up. We need the Power of Four in case Christy tries anything, and Billie to pacify Christy, right?"

"Sure," Cole agreed grudgingly.

"I think the five of us should go, and the rest of you should stay, then," Piper said.

"Piper—" Leo began, but Piper cut him off.

"Leo, there's nothing you can do if you go. I'm not sure we can do anything, either. Obviously Christy's got something up her sleeve, and I don't want Wyatt and Chris to lose both their parents in one battle."

Leo was silent.

"I don't want to come off as an over-protective husband, but…" Henry began. "Actually, I do. I think Leo's got a valid point here."

"Henry…" Paige said, trying to stop him from continuing. "We've had this conversation many times before."

"No, I've started it and you've brushed it off," Henry said.

Paige grabbed him by the shirt and began dragging him out of the attic and into the hallway. "Fine, but if we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it in private."

He pulled her hand free. "No, we're not! Every time I talk to you about this in private, you find some way to shrug it off! I want us to HAVE this conversation, dammit! I'm sick of starting it and never ending it!"

Paige didn't say a word.

"I love you, you know I love you! Why are you so ready to go? Do you want to leave me? Is that it?"

Paige shook her head "no." "Of course not!"

"Then, what is it? I know you've said it's too dangerous for me. I know it's your destiny. But those are just vague excuses that make it feel like you're not willing to open up to me, or that you're hiding something from me!"

"That's not it, either," Paige insisted, tears coming to her eyes.

"What is it, then, Paige? Every time I bring it up, you find some way to make me out to be stupid for asking! You tell me I'm being paranoid. You tell me I'm being stupid. You tell me I'm being unreasonable. You tell me I'm being irrational. But you never tell me _why_, Paige. _**Why**_?"

"_Because I can't stand to think about it!_" Paige finally screamed.

Henry stopped ranting and was silent for a moment.

"I'm not being vague, I'm being honest. It's too dangerous for you."

"But not too dangerous for _you_?" he shot back.

"No, it _is_ too dangerous for me. The difference is that it _is_ _my_ destiny." She stopped herself and took a moment to compose herself. "Henry, what my sisters and I do is dangerous. We don't do it for kicks. Don't you think we'd give it up to spend a safe life with you guys? But we can't. We're the Charmed Ones. We can't just take our husbands with us. We can't just stay home. We can't just stop, because it _never_ _stops_." She paused again. "I was hoping after the last big fight with Christy that we could just live normal lives. But the truth is, we're _not_ normal. We'll never _be_ normal. And who knows? Maybe I'll die young, maybe I'll live until I'm cursing a volunteer at a nursing home." She gave a half-chuckle. "Henry, honey, it just doesn't make sense to put you in the middle of a world that could kill you in a second. Nobody deserves that. I'm not trying to hide you from myself, or shut you out. I'm trying to protect you. Because if something happens to you, like it did to Kyle, I'd never forgive myself. I love you."

Everyone was speechless.

Henry finally spoke. "Paige, why didn't you say this before? You always shrugged me off; you never told me you were afraid of losing me like I was afraid of losing you…"

She sniffled. "Because I didn't want you to realize what a mistake you made marrying me."

"What? Paige, how can you say that?"

"Are you kidding me, Henry? We dated for a little while, got engaged, and then got married in the span of less than a year. It was so quick, and you are still adjusting to me being one of the most powerful witches on Earth. I thought if you realized just how dangerous it was, you'd run out of here as fast as possible. I wanted to protect you."

"I knew what I was getting myself into when I married you, Paige," Henry said quietly. "I knew I loved you, and that's all that mattered. I can learn to deal with everything else, but you have to give me a chance. Isn't it a bit unfair to assume that I'd run if I found out how dangerous it is?"

"I didn't think about that," she admitted quietly. "I should have."

There was another awkward silence. After what seemed like an eternity, Billie spoke. "Uhm, I know you're kind of in the middle of something, but… Shouldn't we get going? Christy's not gonna be there forever…"

Henry sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Go. Paige and I can always finish this conversation another time."

"Yeah," Paige agreed softly.

Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Billie held hands. "Bye, Henry," Paige said, as she orbed them out of the attic.

"Good luck," he said, too soft for her to hear.

* * *

The girls orbed into a relatively empty room. "Maybe she left?" Phoebe suggested.

"Somehow, I just don't see that happening," Piper snapped.

"Christy?" Billie called.

"I guess she's not here," Paige said.

"No, she's here; I can sense her," Billie said. "Christy, we know you're here. Just show yourself."

Christy, however, did not show herself. A couple seconds passed before there was a scream.

"Phoebe and Billie, stay here, in case it's a trap," Piper said. "You two, come with me." Piper, Prue, and Paige left the room, going up the stairs, where the scream had come from.

"Well, that was an interesting conversation between Paige and Henry," Phoebe said, once they were out of earshot.

"I'd say it was a long time coming," Billie replied. She kept her ears open in case Christy was trying to pull a fast one…

* * *

Piper walked into the first room upstairs, followed closely by Prue and Paige. They were all on edge. There was a wall to their right when they walked in. Straight ahead, there was nothing, so Piper cautiously peeked around the corner. "Oh, my God," she breathed.

There were a couple and two young kids tied to chairs, each of them gagged. There was a recorder. It was on a loop, which was obvious when another scream, identical to the one they had heard earlier, came from it.

"Where's Christy?" Prue asked.

"Downstairs," Paige realized, bolting downstairs.

* * *

Phoebe and Billie jumped when they heard the scream come from the room.

"Wait a sec," Phoebe said. "Didn't that one sound exactly like—"  
"—Like the one that came from that room before?" Christy finished. Phoebe turned around to face her, but it was too late. Christy had already sent a fireball flying into Phoebe's chest. Phoebe went flying into a wall and was instantly knocked unconscious.

Billie was determined to fight her sister, but hesitated. This was all Christy needed, as she threw a potion at her, also knocking her out.

The three sisters came running down the stairs.

"I can't believe you guys fell for it," she sneered, teleporting out with Billie.

Paige ran to Phoebe and healed her.

"Well, this is great," Piper fumed. "Now, what?"

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**_Okay, less than a month isn't too bad, is it? Haha..._**

**_Thanks to those of you that asked how my grandma is doing. She's doing better -- I'm visiting her almost every day, so it cuts down some of my writing time. I write when I can. I actually finished this chapter yesterday, but I went over it to make it flow a bit better. The Paige/Henry part took the longest, but I decided to answer a request for more Paige/Henry. I hope I did it well..._**

**_As usual, leave a comment if you have a question, problem, critique, request, or anything else I might have missed. Thank you all for reading with me... From here on, it's just Christy vs. the Girls (I think)._**

KateB819


	27. Phoebe Pulls A Fast One

_Angelic Ami, "Is she going to try to make her evil again?" Naturally, haha. I am very happy you liked the Paige/Henry thing. I was originally going to have them do it alone, but then it wouldn't really make sense, because it would be like every other time they'd had the conversation._

_lizardmomma, I'm glad you liked the Paige/Henry scene. And yes, the Charmed Ones seem to keep falling for traps, don't they? Oh, well..._

_kcbelles, I guess I can't please everyone, can I? Haha... I think I might throw in another Paige/Henry thing in another couple chapters, we'll just have to see how that goes. I will definitely keep the men in the story, they're playing a part in the next few chapters._

_JazisCharmed, wow, you read fast! I know that particular scene is a bit tough to put into writing, but I'm pleased you enjoyed it. NOTHING can beat the original, but I wanted to pay homage to it, because that is probably my favorite scene in the series! I generally don't like the idea of bringing Prue back, but it helps the story out because of all the *past* villians coming back, and Paige doesn't know some of them. I agree, Henry doesn't get that much screentime, which is too bad because he was such a well-written character. Also, I am happy you liked the first scene in chapter one... it just popped into my head one day, lol. I apologize if some of the chapters came out a bit rushed. Guess I can't be on my A-game all the time, eh? I hope your grandma gets better._

_piperspeanut, LMAO, I love how you keep calling me evil. Mwahahahaha... I have to admit, I had most of the chapter done, but I couldn't figure out a good end for it... and your comment gave me the kick in the butt I needed...  
_

* * *

"I won't join your side, Christy," Billie spat defiantly. Christy had taken Billie to the Underworld, locking her in another magic-proof cage. _Who builds all of these things?_ Billie wondered.

"Oh, Billie… What happened to you?" Christy seemed sincerely disappointed.

"What happened to _me_? What happened to _you_? Christy, this is evil. They've brainwashed you into believing that what you're doing is right, but it's not."

Christy simply shook her head.

"Christy, please… I don't want to accept that you're a lost cause. Give me something to work with."

"The only thing I'm giving you," Christy said, "is clarity."

"What are you going to do?" Billie demanded, alarmed.

Christy walked right up to the cage. "I figure, since you won't voluntarily join me, I will _make_ you join me. Together, we can kill the Charmed Ones and take over the universe!"

_She _is_ beyond help_, Billie realized sadly. _But how far is she willing to go?_

"Christy, what are you going to do?" Billie repeated, more urgently.

"We have a connection, as sisters," Christy explained. "I'm tapping into that connection so that you will see things as I see them. You will see things the _right_ way."

"Paige!" Billie called in vain. _Damn this cage!

* * *

_

"We have to go after them," Prue said. The group was back in the attic. Prue, Paige, and Piper were flipping through the Book of Shadows, mostly so they had something to do, instead of just worrying.

"Not without a plan," Paige said. "We need a plan."

"What happened to winging it?" Piper teased lightly.

"We winged it and it got Billie taken, again. I can accept when I'm wrong."

"You can? I thought you were allergic to that," Piper replied.

"I was, but now I'm taking this new medicine for it."

"Guys, back on topic, here," Phoebe chimed in. "Especially since Christy has Billie and I was almost killed earlier."

"Right," Piper said. "Okay, well I say we charge in and get Billie back, and maybe kick Christy's butt while we're there."

"What if Christy turned Billie or something? We need a better plan," Prue said, abandoning the Book and sitting down next to Phoebe, Coop, and Cole on the couch. Henry and Leo were sitting in chairs. In the girls' absence, Leo had taken the boys to Victor's place.

"I have an idea," Paige volunteered. "But it'd require someone to stay behind."

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"Three of us go, and one of us stays behind to figure out a way to change Billie back to good, and to stop Christy for good. The other three are decoys so Christy is preoccupied and doesn't figure out what's going on until it's too late."

"How do you know Christy is going to try to change Billie, and not kill her? And why is only one of us staying back?"

"Because if it is a trap, we have a back-up," Paige answered.

"Christy is going to realize something is up if one of you don't show up," Henry pointed out.

Phoebe smiled.

"Uh oh, I know that look," Prue teased. "Phoebe's just had a Phoebe idea…"

"It's not the best plan in the world," Phoebe said, her grin growing wider, "but it'll give me time to find a way to get Billie back on our side without Christy realizing that I stayed behind." She looked at Leo and Henry. "And it'll give you guys a chance to pitch in, too."

* * *

Phoebe, Piper, Paige, Cole, and Prue entered the chamber where Billie was being held. Paige sensed Billie's cries, even though they were weak. "Billie?" Paige called.

"Maybe she's not here," Phoebe said to Paige.

"Would you be quiet? I can't _believe_ Phoebe talked me into letting you come."

"Don't talk to me that way, Paige. I'm still your husband, even if I'm glamoured into looking like your sister."

"Shh," Cole shushed. "Henry, you're gonna give us away."

"You're being a worry-wart, Leo," Piper said to Cole.

"Why am I the woman, anyway?" Henry complained. "I never knew bras were so uncomfortable."

"What, you're saying you want to be _Cole_?" Paige asked.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Leo asked. "Is there something wrong with being Cole?"

"Oh no, not at all," Piper said unconvincingly.

"I've gotta say, Phoebe was a genius for coming up with this idea. I never would've thought about glamouring Leo and Henry into Cole and Phoebe," Prue cut in.

"Yeah, well, let's hope it wasn't for nothing," Piper whispered back.

"Looking for us?" Christy asked, entering with Billie from another room.

"You bet we are," Henry said from Phoebe's body.

"That's strange," Christy said, almost to herself. "This whole thing screams 'trap'… and yet, you are all here."

_Oh, no,_ Leo thought.

"Guess we wanted to bring the full arsenal," Leo snapped from Cole's body.

"Mm-hmm," Christy murmured, unconvinced. "Billie, be a sweetie and go to the manor, won't you?"

"No!" Paige cried, but Christy and Billie threw the group into the magic-proof cage.

"Billie, what are you doing?" Piper demanded.

"I used a spell so that my sister would see things _my_ way – the _correct_ way," Christy sneered. "Now, Billie, go back to the manor."

"Okay," Billie said, no emotion in her voice. She disappeared as Christy sent her away in a wall of flames, as the others were powerless to stop her.

* * *

The group had just left, leaving Coop, Cole, and Phoebe behind in the manor.

"Wow, Phoebe, that was a great idea to have Leo and Henry go in your places," Coop commented.

"Well, I hope we can find a way to get Billie permanently on our side," Phoebe said, picking up the Book of Shadows. She jerked as a premonition hit her, clouding her vision with images from the past, blurring by. The sound was distorted, but she concentrated and was able to make out what was going on.

_Christy was holding a piece of paper. Billie was standing in a cage, calling Paige's name. "It's no use," Christy snapped. Then she began reading off the paper… Billie continued to call in desperation._

"_Ties that bind my sister to me,_

_Allow her to see what I see,_

_Feel how I feel,_

_And understand what I know_

_So we may cause the Charmed Ones woe_"

Phoebe snapped back into the present, her ears ringing, as they always did.

"Phoebe," Cole said, his voice with traces of concern. "What did you see?"

"Christy… she's using her sisterly bonds with Billie to turn her evil," Phoebe said, steadying herself on the doorframe. "Which means, now I know how to get her back on our side and away from Christy."

Phoebe began walking to get a piece of paper and a pen, but was stopped as Billie appeared right in front of her. "Billie."

"You stayed behind," Billie noted, her voice flat. "And Cole, too. Then, who–?"

"We sent Leo and Henry in our place," Phoebe explained slowly. "Billie, please, let me help you."

"I don't need help," she insisted angrily. "For the first time, I see everything clearly."

"No, you're seeing things the way Christy sees them," Phoebe replied. "And that's the wrong way."

"Liar!" Billie yelled, slamming Phoebe against the wall with a telekinetic push. Cole went to throw a low-voltage energy ball at Billie, but she deflected it back to him, knocking him out of the attic and into the hallway. Billie threw Coop out of the attic with a wave of her hand, closing the door, as well.

Phoebe slowly rose to her feet. "Billie, I don't want to fight you," she pleaded.

"Too bad," Billie said, flinging Phoebe into the ceiling, and watching passively as she came crashing back into the floor. _I thought witches can't hurt other witches with their powers_, Phoebe thought as she looked up to locate Billie. _Maybe it's because she's under Christy's influence…?_

Billie walked up to Phoebe, but Phoebe sprang up and delivered an uppercut that knocked Billie on the floor.

Billie tried to trip Phoebe, but she jumped over it and grabbed Billie by her ankle, hurtling her into a nearby couch. "Don't make me hurt you," Phoebe begged.

Billie flicked her wrist, sending a coat rack flying across the room and into Phoebe. She fell down. Billie walked over and snapped off one of the arms from the coat rack.

"Billie, please. Remember who you are, not what Christy wants you to be. You're a good witch. You can fight whatever she's done to you," she tried to reason. Billie's face remained the same, showing no sign of having heard what Phoebe said.

Billie approached Phoebe and smacked her head with the wooden peg, hard. Phoebe's vision blurred, and she heard a deafening ringing in her ears. Realizing there was no other choice, Phoebe delivered another uppercut and then kicked Billie in the chest, sending her flying across the room. Phoebe took an unsure step towards her. _I can fight Billie, sure… but what if I have to go farther?_

"You shouldn't hesitate, Phoebe," Billie said, standing up. With a wave of her hand, the arm she had ripped off the coat rack soared across the room and went right through Phoebe's chest. Phoebe gasped in pain, and collapsed to the ground.

Cole and Coop burst into the attic, too late. "Oh my God, Billie, what have you done?" Coop asked, tears welling up in his eyes. Billie stood by with a passive look on her face. He rushed over to Phoebe. "Phoebe," he called, shaking her. He checked her pulse.

Cole came closer. "Is she–?"

"Not yet, but her pulse is weak." He put his head down, resting it on her shoulder. "Wake up, Phoebe… Please, don't leave me," he sobbed. Cole looked over to Billie, who still wore an impassive mask. But she wasn't attacking… that had to be a good sign, didn't it?

Coop was quieting down, crying over Phoebe's almost-lifeless body. Cole held back the tears. _Dammit, where are the Whitelighters when you need them?_ Obviously, Paige was trapped somewhere, or Billie wouldn't have made it here. "Aren't you gonna do something?" he asked Billie, his voice full of pain. "Are you going to kill us? Or are you going to just stand there?"

Billie didn't respond. She just continued to stand there.

"We have to find Paige, or something," Coop finally murmured. "If only we knew how to find them." Paige had been able to find Billie only because Billie was her Charge. And even that had taken a while.

"Billie knows where they are," Cole answered.

Coop wiped some tears off his cheek, checking Phoebe's pulse again. "I doubt she's going to volunteer that information. And Phoebe's pulse is almost gone," he said, his voice cracking.

Cole inhaled sharply, and then grabbed Billie by her collar, slamming her against the wall. He held on to her, putting his face within a few inches from hers. "Where are they?" he demanded, anger turning his face red. Billie didn't even seem to notice anything had happened. "Dammit, Billie! I didn't come back from the dead so Phoebe could take my place! I know you're a damn good witch, so would you focus on that? You're a damn good witch, and you help people! Right now, Phoebe needs your help!"

He shook her, and she blinked, but stared right through him. He roared, and dragged Billie over to where Phoebe was lying. During the whole ordeal, Coop had stood up. He backed away from the raging Cole, and watched as he threw Billie on the floor, next to Phoebe.

"_Look_ at her!" he yelled, his eyes bulging out. "_Look at her!_" He wasn't sure Billie heard her, but she did as she was told. "She's _dying_, because you're deciding to let the evil take over you."

There seemed to be a shift in the atmosphere, and Billie snapped back to reality. Her face changed as she realized what she was looking at. She turned her head to look at Cole and Coop, who were watching to see what she would do next.

"What–?" She seemed puzzled, but the expression faded away as it slowly started to occur to her what had happened. She looked back down at Phoebe. "Oh, no," she gasped. "Oh no, oh no, oh _no_," she began to wail. "What have I done? What have I _done_?" Tears streamed down her face.

"You can fix it," Cole said quietly, having calmed back down.

"How? Christy has Paige in a magic-proof cage," she said between sobs.

"But _she_ doesn't know you've turned back to good," Coop pointed out. "Phoebe said that the only way to break you out of your spell was to break the sisterly bond. I guess that means that the reason you broke out of it was because _you_ realized what you did was wrong. It un-did what Christy believes is wrong."

"Not the most powerful spell," Cole commented. "Which means, even if you use it to try to get her to see your way, she may just revert back to what she believes."

"Either way, you need to go back down there and try to free Paige to heal Phoebe," Coop pressed.

"You're right," Billie said, standing up and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'll go with you," Cole volunteered.

"No, I have to go alone. That way, Christy doesn't realize I've changed back. Besides, I don't want Coop and Phoebe to be alone."

"Fine."

"Good luck," Coop said, sitting back on the ground and holding Phoebe's hand. "And hurry."

"I will," she promised. She opened a potion that would bring her back to Christy. With one last glace at Phoebe, who was barely alive, she drank it, appearing in front of Christy.

"Took you long enough, little sister," Christy snapped. "Are they dead? Is Phoebe dead?"

"Yeah," Billie said, hoping that would convince Christy.

Christy stared at her, trying to read Billie's expression.

An awkward second passed as Billie held her breath. _Pleasebelieveme, pleasebelieveme, pleasebelieveme…_

"I'm not sure I believe that," Christy said. "I'd better go check for myself."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_Another cliff-hanger... Yes, I'm evil, I know. For those of you wondering, I have another four chapters planned out. I AM toying with an idea for a sequel to this story... lemme know if you'd like to see one, or if you think I should end it here. (Your opinions count, *gasp*)_**

**_Anyways, just wanted to thank you all for sticking with me this far... If you have questions, comments, requests, critiques... or just wanted to say you hate me, feel free to say something._**

**_And yes, my Grandma is getting better. Not home yet, so visiting her sucks up a lot of my writing time... but she's getting there. Thanks to all of you that asked about her!_**

KateB819


	28. Where is Everyone?

"Th-That won't be necessary," Billie stammered. _Oh, crap._

"Sorry, sis," Christy said, daring Billie to speak back to her again. "Unless you have proof."

"The proof should be my word," Billie replied, trying her best to sound hurt. "I went back, ad they had left Cole and Phoebe behind, and now they're no longer a threat." That wasn't a lie.

"I'm going back," Christy declared.

"No." Billie said. She waved her arm, and a rock flew off the wall and hit Christy's head, knocking her out. That action alone had been hard for Billie. _I can't vanquish her_, she thought as she got the key from Christy's pocket and ran over to the cage, _I can't!_

She started unlocking the cage.

"What the hell is going on?" Piper demanded. "Playing for both sides?"

"Nope," Billie said, finally getting the lock open. "Paige, you have to go back now, Phoebe's hurt really bad."

"And how did that happen?" Prue asked pointedly.

Billie looked at the ground.

"I figured." She leveled Billie with a glare.

"Look, we don't have time for this," Henry said from Phoebe's body.

Paige stepped out of the cage. "We've gotta get out of here," she said.

"I don't think so," Christy snapped from behind them. She disappeared in a wall of flames, reappearing right next to Billie and Paige. She knocked Billie aside, into Paige, slammed the door to the cage shut, and locked it before the others to get out. She backed away as Leo, disguised as Henry, tried to grab her.

Paige sat up, and looked down at Billie, who was unconscious. Christy formed a fireball in her hands, and flung it at them. Paige grabbed Billie's hand and orbed out.

Christy. "You're too late, anyway."

* * *

Paige orbed into the attic, still holding onto Billie. Phoebe was lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. "Phoebe," she gasped, running over. She held her hands over Phoebe, and in a second or so, the wound slowly began to heal as golden light emitted from Paige's hands. Within no time, the wound was completely healed. Phoebe sat up, a bit groggy. She looked over at Billie.

"What happened?"

Billie stirred and got up, walking over to them. "Pheebs, I am so sorry," Billie apologized. "After Cole snapped me out of it, I went and got Paige, but the others were recaptured."

"Oh." Phoebe looked around. "Where's Cole and Coop?"

Billie and Paige looked around, as well. No one was around.

"Uh oh," Billie said.

* * *

Billie, Paige, and Phoebe orbed into Billie's chamber. Christy was sitting on a large chair, facing them as they entered.

"Has anyone ever told you that you act a lot like The Emperor from Star Wars?" Paige asked. "Only you're a girl and you don't have those evil lines on your face, yet. But I'm sure they come with age."

Christy didn't react.

"Where is everyone?" Phoebe demanded. The magic-proof cage was nowhere in sight.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Christy grinned at them.

"Christy, what did you do?" Billie asked. "What have you done with them?"

"Oh, _I'm_ not going to do anything," Christy replied. "In fact, I'm not even responsible for Coop and Cole going missing." She gave a cackle. "While Billie was down here, trying to appeal to my _insanity_, I telepathically ordered two henchmen to fetch them."

"Where are they?" Paige demanded.

"With the Triad," Christy answered.

Paige thought she heard wrong. "The _what_?"

"Oh, you know," Christy said, not even bothering to suppress her grin, "the Triad. Don't tell me you've already forgotten who they are?"

* * *

**Author's note:**

_**I didn't bother to do that thing where I address the last comments because... well because there was only one**** lol**_

_**I know**_**_ it's been FOREVER. I ran into some technical difficulties and then life kinda got in the way but I've had this chapter sitting on my laptop for quite a while... I'll start working on the next chapter ASAP. It should be a pretty exciting chapter, this one is just kind of a cliffhanger (in case you couldn't tell, haha)._**

**_Thank you if you've been holding out this long, and hello to any new readers! Feel free to drop a comment anytime!_**

KateB819


	29. Working Out Their Issues

_angie2282_, _I'm sorry if you found that the story got a bit boring... and I'll see what I can do about the Paige/Cole thing. I think I'll stick it in the last chapter, because right now it's more about taking down the Big Bads than reconciling. The hair color comment was a poke at the show... did yu ever notice how many Paige went through in the course of the show? Brunette, deep red, light red, back to brunette..._

_Angelic Ami, sorry it took so long! My laptop crashed and I had to get a new one and rebuild the chapter from scratch (which was a pain in the butt because I had most of it done, and this is a pretty meaty chapter)._

_lizardmomma, thanks!  
_

_charmed-darkangel, I'm not planning to put in any conflict between Prue and Billie... interesting idea, though! haha_

_That70sshowlova, I think he's very interesting, too! It's weird for him, because he's supposed to be neutral... but he's more fond of the good guys than the bad!  
_

* * *

"You didn't." Billie shook her head in disbelief, even though she knew she did.

"How?" Paige demanded.

Christy cackled, sending chills down Billie's spine. "Don't you guys get it? You _can't_ vanquish the Triad! It's _not_ _possible_. Nothing, not the Power of Three, not me, nor Billie can defeat them. They are forever. They are evil personified. No spell or potion or power can get rid of _evil_."

"No? Watch us," Phoebe said.

"Fine. Get yourselves killed," Christy sneered. "But can you do it without Cole, Prue, and Piper?" She waved her hand and a doorway appeared. Coop, Leo, and Henry were standing in an empty room, but Cole, Prue, and Piper were missing.

"We need to find them," Paige said.

Christy scoffed. "Finding them isn't the issue. Hell, I'll _tell_ you where they are." There was a glint of excitement in her eyes. "I want to see the fighting, anyway."

"Where are they?" Phoebe asked.

"Cole is in the Conference Den. Prue is in the Idol Shrine. Piper is in the Dining Hall. Have fun," she replied, before disappearing into the shadows.

Phoebe sighed. "How are we going to do this?"

"Notice how Christy didn't tell us where the Triad is," Billie pointed out. "This whole this is a distraction, _that's_ why she's sending us after them."

"So what do we do? We definitely don't stand a chance without them," Paige noted.

"We do what she wants," Phoebe said, formulating a plan. "Our powers should work against theirs because, at the moment, they're pawns of the Triad, too. So we match ourselves with them."

"And the Triad?" Billie asked.

"The men keep saying they want to be more useful. I say this is their chance," Phoebe responded.

They smiled at the men standing in the next room, trying to look preoccupied.

* * *

"I was wondering how long it would take you to show," Cole said, knowing it was Phoebe before even turning around. He stood at the far end of the Conference Den.

"As if I would give up the chance at fighting you."

"I didn't think you would." He turned around, his eyes already pure black.

"Since you know me so well, this battle should be a piece of cake, with you being able to predict my moves," Phoebe said, eyeing her surroundings.

"I taught you how to fight, didn't I?"

"That doesn't mean I didn't get better."

Cole smirked. "You think you got better?"

"Yes, I do." Phoebe slowly dropped into a fighting stance.

Cole transformed into Belthazor. His voice grew deeper, his skin turned crimson red with black markings, and he stood at an intimidating height. "I'd like to test that theory." He flung an energy ball and Phoebe levitated over it.

* * *

Prue ran her fingers along a statue of a past Source. She already knew who was coming to fight her.

"Probably the closets you'd ever get to any physical contact," Paige said, entering the Idol Shrine.

Prue whirled around, her eyes black, as well. "Spoken by a true whore," she snapped.

"I'm the whore," Paige repeated, feigning surprise. "Better to be a whore than a cold, stone-hearted bitch."

"Are we going to stand here calling each other names, or should we get down to business?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Paige replied.

Prue waved a small statue off the shelf at Paige, who orbed out of the way.

* * *

Billie walked into the Dining Hall, but Piper was nowhere in sight. "Marco," she called.

"Polo," Piper voice rang out.

Billie sighed. "Honestly, Piper? I thought you were a bit more mature than that, or at least braver…"

There was no answer.

"This is getting really old, really fast—"

Piper's arm came out from a crevice in the wall and struck Billie in the face. Piper went to make another blow but Billie blocked it and gave Piper a kick in the face.

"That's more like it." Piper grinned.

_Crap, her eyes are jet-black._

* * *

Coop, Leo, and Henry were walking through the tunnels in the Underworld.

"I still feel like we're stuck with the short end of the stick," Henry whined. "The girls are kicking ass while we're wandering around without a map."

Leo chuckled. "Are you saying you think you can take on Cole? Or Prue? Or Piper?"

"I feel sort of… insulted," Coop said. "I mean, Christy does a spell to put us all back in our right bodies and turns the others evil, but leaves us to stand around in an empty room. She doesn't even bother to kill us or turn us evil. She just disregarded us without a thought, like we couldn't even be a threat."

Henry shrugged. "I mean, what threat _could_ we really be to them? I guess I could shoot them or something…"

The three men kept walking until they hit a tunnel that split into three ways.

"I guess that divides evenly among us," Leo suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Coop said.

* * *

Cole threw a punch aimed at Phoebe's face, but she ducked and delivered a blow to his torso. He grunted on impact, but grabbed her arm and swung her into the wall.

Phoebe used her arms to brace herself and pushed off the wall, spinning right into an attempted elbow at Cole's chest. Cole backed away and backhanded her across the face. Phoebe fell to the floor. Cole formed an energy ball and hurled it at Phoebe. She rolled out of the way and flipped back up, kicking Cole in one fluid motion.

Cole bounced back up and tackled Phoebe to the ground. She pushed him off her and grabbed him by the back of his jacket, ramming his head into the wall. He got back up and punched her in the face, causing her to stumble backwards. He created another energy ball, which grazed her shoulder. Phoebe gasped out in pain.

Cole grabbed her by the back of her hair and lobbed her over the conference table, onto the ground. "You're not giving up on me already, are you?" he taunted.

* * *

Prue flung another statue at Paige.

"Statue!" she called, trying to deflect it back at Prue. Prue dodged it and charged at Paige, knocking her down. Prue jumped back up but Paige tripped her and orbed away.

Prue stood up, looking around for a sign of Paige.

"A little old to be playing hide-and-seek, aren't we?" Prue yelled out.

Paige orbed behind Prue and wrapped her arms around her. "You're older than me," Paige said, spinning around as Prue struggled. Prue broke free and tried to deliver a blow, which Paige blocked.

"Statue!" Paige called, hurling a small statue at Prue.

Prue deflect it back at Paige, smashing her in the chest and sending her reeling back into the wall. Paige hit the wall and collapsed to the ground, momentarily stunned.

Prue cocked her head to one side. "You should learn to respect your elders, then," Prue retorted, and waved her arm to push a large statue on top of Paige.

* * *

Piper blew up a leg of the chair Billie was standing on. Billie jumped off the chair. Piper was waiting for her, and went to punch her. Billie dodged it and delivered an elbow to Piper's chest, knocking her backwards. Piper grabbed Billie's head and kneed her in the forehead. Billie held her head in pain and had to grab the table to stead herself.

Piper kicked her arm up in the air, and Billie fell forward, hitting her head on the table.

"You're beating yourself up more than I am," Piper commented. She scoffed. "And we picked _you_ as our _replacement_? More like our _disappointment_."

Billie recovered and kicked Piper hard, sending her flying into the wall hard enough to temporarily black out.

Phoebe, Paige, and Billie had formulated a plan to snap their opponents out of whatever spell Christy had put them under, which was to tap into their inner pain. Unfortunately, Billie couldn't come up with anything…

_This isn't going too well,_ Billie fretted.

* * *

Cole slammed Phoebe down onto the conference table, shattering it. Phoebe kicked Cole's head and he collapsed to the ground. She picked up one of the large splinters, which was more like a stake, and walked toward Cole. And then she stopped and dropped it.

Cole looked up and smirked. "Can't do it, can you?" He got up and dusted himself off. "That's because you're weak." He grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the wall.

She didn't fight back.

"Aw, you're not even trying. It's no fun if you're not putting up _some_ form of defense. At least make some noises."

"I can't, Cole." Phoebe didn't move.

Cole gripped her throat tighter. "Because you're weak."

"No," she gasped.

He sneered at her. "Then, enlighten me. Why?"

"Because," she gasped, "because I love you."

Cole let go of her, and she gasped for air. "Shut up," he spat.

"I love you," she said again, stepping closer to him.

"I said, '_Shut up_!'" he yelled, hitting her without enough force to knock her to the ground.

She was on her knees, and this was a desperate attempt, but Phoebe wasn't sure what else to do. "I-I love you, Cole. I've tried not to so many times, and I've tried to admit that I'm not _in_ love with you, so it's okay… But it's not. A part of us will always be alive as long as one of us is. Isn't that what kept you alive in Limbo?"

Cole transformed back into human form. He was hyperventilating now. "SHUT UP!" he kicked her in the face. "I'm Belthazor! Belthazor is evil! You can't destroy evil with love!"

Phoebe tried her best to ignore the pain that was consuming her. "A-a-aren't you living proof that you _can_?" She slowly stood back up. "Cole, I'm telling you now that I love you. I don't care if you hurt me. I don't care if you kill me. Just know that I love you. I can't _not_ love you."

"_WHY_?" Cole exploded. "Why do you love me? I haven't done anything to deserve your love, not after everything I have done to you! You should hate me! I'm a MONSTER. Why do you love a monster?" He collapsed to his knees, his face red with anger, anger with himself.

Phoebe carefully knelt down next to him. "This whole time, I've been angry at what you've done to me. It never occurred to me that _you_ were just as angry at yourself."

"Why do you love me?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not quite sure," Phoebe whispered. "But I do."

Cole's eyes returned to normal.

"Feel better?" Phoebe asked.

"A little bit," Cole said.

"Good. Now let's go kick some Triad ass."

_

* * *

This is _not_ good_, Paige thought as she was hiding behind a statue. _Prue is stronger than I thought!_

"You know, hiding won't do you any good. I could turn over every statue to find you."

_Come on, think of something that will remind her of who she is! Something that will upset her!_

And then Paige got an idea.

"It must really piss you off," Paige voice rang out throughout the Idol Shrine, "that I replaced you so quickly and easily."

A bunch of statues crashed down.

"I mean, thirty years of being their sister, and I replaced you in a matter of months. They completely forgot about you. That must hurt."

"Shut up!" Prue yelled. "You're sadly mistaken if you think you replaced me."

"You're in denial, Prue," Paige replied as more statues came down near her. "I bet you feel like your sisters betrayed you. It's not even that I replaced you, it's that you're replaceable."

"You're wrong!"

The statue Paige was hiding behind fell to the ground, so Paige orbed behind another one.

"_You're wrong!_"

"That's why you couldn't stand me when you first came back. You think I took over your role as their sister, and they don't need you anymore."

"_NO_!" Prue shrieked as all the statues toppled over with a cacophonous noise. Prue collapsed to her knees, hanging her head. Paige heard small sobs.

Paige cautiously stepped closer. "You feel like the moment you died, I came in and just stole your spot, and they let me."

The sobs were growing louder, transforming into cries. "They let me go so easily, they just moved on. How could they just… _replace_ _me_?"

Prue looked up into Paige's eyes, and they turned back to a normal color, full of tears.

Tears rolled down Prue's cheeks as she let go of the fear she had been holding in since her resurrection – the fear that she no longer served a purpose in this world than to vanquish demons.

Paige knelt down next to Prue, placing an arm on her shoulder. "Oh, honey, they didn't replace you… Do you have any idea how long they were hurting, how much it pained them to have someone else join the Charmed Ones so soon after you died? Piper closed herself off from me for so long, she even closed herself off from Phoebe and Leo for the longest time. Even eight years after your death, they still didn't felt comfortable talking about it. You weren't _replaced_; your sisters loved you more than life. I didn't _replace_ you, I didn't steal your spot, and I didn't take your role as their sister. They made a new spot, a new role for me in the family. I could never be Prue, just like you could never be Paige. But, sweetie, you have to understand that your sisters _love_ you."

Prue had calmed down a bit, although tiny sobs escaped every few seconds.

Paige gave her a few moments in silence, but eventually had to break it. "Are you okay?"

Prue waited a while, then said quietly, "Yes, I think I am."

"Good. Because our sisters need _us_."

Prue wiped away the last remaining tears and then took a deep breath. "Then, what are we waiting for?"

Paige smiled and helped Prue up.

* * *

Billie ran out of places to hide. The fight had destroyed all the furniture in the dining hall, and, unfortunately, the room had not been built with the notion of dinner guests having to hide from an attacker.

_Think, Billie, think!_

"It would seem that you're out of ideas," Piper commented, approaching her.

Billie went to trip her but Piper saw it coming, leapt over Billie's leg, grabbed it, and swung her into the wall.

"Piper, stop this!" a voice rang out.

Piper turned around, and Billie sat up to see who it was. It was Leo.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_I am SO SORRY that it took this long to update. My laptop crashed around Christmastime and I had to get a new one and rebuild the chapter from scratch... which was a pain in the butt because I had most of it done, and this is a pretty meaty chapter._**

**_I know this chapter was a bit crazy... hope it wasn't too confusing?_**

_KateB819  
_


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